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MARSDAILYNASA's Curiosity Mars Rover Finds a Clay Cache

by Staff Writers

DSI 9th Annual Space Resiliency Summit

Pasadena CA (JPL) May 30, 2019

NASA's Curiosity rover has confirmed that the region on Mars it's exploring, called the "clay-bearing unit," is well deserving of its name. Two samples the rover recently drilled at rock targets called "Aberlady" and "Kilmarie" have revealed the highest amounts of clay minerals ever found during the mission.

Both drill targets appear in a new selfie taken by the rover on May 12, 2019, the 2,405th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

This clay-enriched region, located on the side of lower Mount Sharp, stood out to NASA orbiters before Curiosity landed in 2012. Clay often forms in water, which is essential for life; Curiosity is exploring Mount Sharp to see if it had the conditions to support life billions of years ago.

The rover's mineralogy instrument, called CheMin (Chemistry and Mineralogy), provided the first analyses of rock samples drilled in the clay-bearing unit. CheMin also found very little hematite, an iron oxide mineral that was abundant just to the north, on Vera Rubin Ridge.

Other than proof that there was a significant amount of water once in Gale Crater, what these new findings mean for the region is still up for debate. It's likely that the rocks in the area formed as layers of mud in ancient lakes - something Curiosity also found lower on Mount Sharp. Water interacted with sediment over time, leaving an abundance of clay in the rocks there.

Cameras (Navcams) to snap images of drifting clouds on May 7 and May 12, 2019, sols 2400 and 2405. They're likely water-ice clouds about 19 miles (31 kilometers) above the surface.

The mission's team has been trying to coordinate cloud observations with NASA's InSight lander, located about 373 miles (600 kilometers) away, which recently took its own cloud images. Capturing the same clouds from two vantage points can help scientists calculate their altitude.

+ Additional cloud images are available at JPL - scroll down.

Related Links

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MARSDAILY

Massive Martian ice discovery opens a window into red planet's history

Austin TX (SPX) May 23, 2019

Newly discovered layers of ice buried a mile beneath Mars' north pole are the remnants of ancient polar ice sheets and could be one of the largest water reservoirs on the planet, according to scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Arizona. The team made the discovery using measurements gathered by the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). SHARAD emits radar waves that can penetrate up to a mile and a half beneath the surface of Mars.

DSI 9th Annual Space Resiliency Summit

MARSDAILY

NASA Awards Artemis Contract for Lunar Gateway Power, Propulsion

'A long ride': 50 years ago, a dress rehearsal for the Moon landing

Moon mission leader leaves NASA after 45 days

Water formation on the moon demonstrated by UH Manoa scientists

MARSDAILY

Yaogan-33 launch fails in north China, Possible debris recovered in Laos

China develops new-generation rockets for upcoming missions

China's satellite navigation industry sees rapid development

China's Yuanwang-7 departs for space monitoring missions

MARSDAILY

Curtin planetary scientist unravels mystery of Egyptian desert glass

GomSpace to design world's first stand-alone nanosatellite asteroid rendezvous mission

A family of comets reopens the debate about the origin of Earth's water

Oldest meteorite collection on Earth found in one of the driest places

MARSDAILY

On Pluto the Winter is approaching, and the atmosphere is vanishing into frost

Juno Finds Changes in Jupiter's Magnetic Field

Neptune's moon Triton fosters rare icy union

Gas insulation could be protecting an ocean inside Pluto

MARSDAILY

Researchers find ice feature on Saturn's giant moon

Giant planets and big data: What deep learning reveals about Saturn's storms

Deep learning takes Saturn by storm

NASA's Cassini Reveals Surprises with Titan's Lakes

MARSDAILY

More detailed picture of Earth's mantle

Illegal ozone-depleting gases traced to China: study

New Studies Increase Confidence in NASA's Measure of Earth's Temperature

NASA-Supported Monitoring Network Assesses Ozone Layer Threats

MARSDAILY

Wandering Earth: rocket scientist explains how we could move our planet

China's tech 'Long March' could be road to nowhere

NASA Prepares for Future Moon Exploration with International Undersea Crew

NASA Selects Studies for Future Space Communications and Services

MARSDAILY

Meteor magnets in outer space

Detecting bacteria in space

Features that could be used to detect life-friendly climates on other worlds

Microbes Exhibit Survival Skills in Ethiopia's Mars-like Wonderland

DSI 9th Annual Space Resiliency Summit

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[the-telescope-times]

Opportunity Does a Wheelie and is Back on Solid Footing

Sol 4890 - false color.    Credit: NASA

    Opportunity is continuing her winter exploration of "Perseverance Valley" on the west rim of the Noachian-aged Endeavour Crater.

The rover is investigating a site where there is evidence of scouring, by wind or otherwise. On Sol 4890 (Oct. 26, 2017), Opportunity bumped uphill about 13 feet (4 meters) to reach some targets of interest to the science team.

Because of the steep terrain, the left rear wheel popped up as a wheelie. Before another further motion or robotic arm use on the rover, the wheelie will have to be relaxed.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

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3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BUY THE DEITY D3 MIC | MarsDaily EP36

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OFFICIAL RELEASE! We are thrilled to share our 2018 fourth annual #louieslegacy calendar #PawsofGotham! Shot by famed South African photographer @candykennedy Kennedy the images she captured focus on the diversity of both people and pets, while highlighting the strong human and pet bond. Each month features a stunning photo of a real rescue pet, most from Louie's Legacy, with a celebrity, influencer or model in an unmistakable NYC scene. We cannot wait to see these in print! Many thanks to #CandyKennedy, @macantone , @maggiegeha , @khrystyana , @rozewashere @daddydoitall @marsdaily , @channingcrew , @anastasiaklaffert , @dennisklaffert , @CJFreshness, @Andrew_Lewandowski, @Caitlin_afton ,@iamlizharlan , @ZincProductions, @TheoRossi, @wearethepuppals and all the amazing adopters and foster parents who helped make this project happen! See our order page for a full list of credits. Pre-orders begin today, Oct 9th, and can be made by going to www.louieslegacy.org/wp/calendar. Pictured: Brett David (@daddydoitall ) and Dexter

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New Post has been published on : MOBILE-CAPPTIVATE, LIMIT-LIABILITY-COMPANY.

New Post has been published on http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHxtQPWLIdNF8CfLTFBdqOlCW4UwQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779488881198&ei=cykTWbjDG9i9hAGc8oGoCQ&url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/may/10/buzz-aldrin-mars-exploration-trump-presidency

To Mars, and beyond: Buzz Aldrin describes vision for space exploration - The Guardian

The Guardian To Mars, and beyond: Buzz Aldrin describes vision for space exploration The Guardian Trump spoke of being “ready to unlock the mysteries of space” in his inaugural address and last month signed a Nasa funding bill containing the most comprehensive language yet in support of Mars exploration, setting a target of 2033 for a manned mission. UAE drops hints on its quest to build a city on MarsDaily Mail A tale of two camps and possibly two planetsDeutsche Welle National Geographic Launches 'Mars' MiniseriesThree If By Space Gizmodo-Blasting News-Inverse all 26 news articles

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Yes we like to stand on furniture in our house #tbt #marsdaily #inthebedroom

[the-telescope-times]

For Moratorium on Sending Commands to Mars, Blame the Sun (and NASA)

Artist rendering of a solar storm hitting Mars and stripping ions from the planet's upper atmosphere. Credits: NASA/GSFC

    This month, movements of the planets will put Mars almost directly behind the sun, from Earth's perspective, causing curtailed communications between Earth and Mars.

NASA will refrain from sending commands to America's three Mars orbiters and two Mars rovers during the period from July 22 to Aug. 1.

"Out of caution, we won't talk to our Mars assets during that period because we expect significant degradation in the communication link, and we don't want to take a chance that one of our spacecraft would act on a corrupted command," said Chad Edwards, manager of the Mars Relay Network Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.

Data will keep coming from Mars to Earth, although loss or corruption of some bits is anticipated and the data will be retransmitted later. "We will continue to receive telemetry, so we will have information every day about the status of the vehicles," Edwards said.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

Note: By now, NASA should have set up a network of satellites at the Earth-sun Lagrange points that would easily eliminate this problem and to prepare for Project Orion’s travels.

[the-telescope-times]

The Moving Martian Bow Shock

An analysis of more than five Martian years of measurements from Mars Express has shown that the location of the bow shock - the boundary where the solar wind slows suddenly as it begins to plough into the planet's outer atmosphere - varies according to the position of Mars in its orbit. This is in addition to other factors such as the dynamic pressure of the solar wind, and the amount of extreme ultraviolet solar radiation.

    As the energetic particles of the solar wind speed across interplanetary space, their motion is modified by objects in their path. A study, based on data from ESA's Mars Express orbiter, has thrown new light on a surprising interaction between the planet Mars and supersonic particles in the solar wind.

Scientists have long been aware that a feature known as a bow shock forms upstream of a planet - rather like the bow of a ship, where the water is slowed and then diverted around the obstacle.

The bow shock marks a fairly sharp boundary where the solar wind slows suddenly as it begins to plough into a planet's magnetosphere or outer atmosphere.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

[the-telescope-times]

Curiosity Peels Back Layers on Ancient Martian Lake

A long-lasting lake on ancient Mars provided stable environmental conditions that differed significantly from one part of the lake to another, according to a comprehensive look at findings from the first three-and-a-half years of NASA's Curiosity rover mission.

Different conditions favorable for different types of microbes existed simultaneously in the same lake.

Previous work had revealed the presence of a lake more than three billion years ago in Mars' Gale Crater. This study defines the chemical conditions that existed in the lake and uses Curiosity's powerful payload to determine that the lake was stratified.

Stratified bodies of water exhibit sharp chemical or physical differences between deep water and shallow water. In Gale's lake, the shallow water was richer in oxidants than deeper water was.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

Image: This evenly layered rock imaged in 2014 by the Mastcam on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows a pattern typical of a lake-floor sedimentary deposit near where flowing water entered a lake. Shallow and deep parts of an ancient Martian lake left different clues in mudstone formed from lakebed deposit.     Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

[the-telescope-times]

Study estimates amount of water needed to carve Martian valleys

Wei Luo

A new study led by Northern Illinois University geography professor Wei Luo calculates the amount of water needed to carve the ancient network of valleys on Mars and concludes the Red Planet's surface was once much more watery than previously thought.

The study bolsters the idea that Mars once had a warmer climate and active hydrologic cycle, with water evaporating from an ancient ocean, returning to the surface as rainfall and eroding the planet's extensive network of valleys.

Satellites orbiting Mars and rovers on its surface have provided scientists with convincing evidence that water helped shape the planet's landscape billions of years ago. But questions have lingered over how much water actually flowed on the planet, and the ocean hypothesis has been hotly debated.

In the new study, published June 5, in the online journal Nature Communications, Luo and colleagues used an innovative algorithm to more precisely calculate the volume of cavity space within Mars valleys and the amount of water that would have been needed to create those cavities through erosion over time. The majority of the valley networks are more than 3 billion years old.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

[the-telescope-times]

NASA Finds Evidence of Diverse Environments in Curiosity Samples

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover examined a mudstone outcrop area called "Pahrump Hills" on lower Mount Sharp, in 2014 and 2015. This view shows locations of some targets the rover studied there. The blue dots indicate where drilled samples of powdered rock were collected for analysis.     Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

NASA scientists have found a wide diversity of minerals in the initial samples of rocks collected by the Curiosity rover in the lowermost layers of Mount Sharp on Mars, suggesting that conditions changed in the water environments on the planet over time.

Curiosity landed near Mount Sharp in Gale Crater in August 2012. It reached the base of the mountain in 2014. Layers of rocks at the base of Mount Sharp accumulated as sediment within ancient lakes around 3.5 billion years ago. Orbital infrared spectroscopy had shown that the mountain's lowermost layers have variations in minerals that suggest changes in the area have occurred.

In a paper published recently in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists in the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston report on the first four samples collected from the lower layers of Mount Sharp.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

[the-telescope-times]

Japan aims to uncover how moons of Mars formed

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced a mission to visit the two moons of Mars and return a rock sample to Earth. It's a plan to uncover both the mystery of the moons' creation and, perhaps, how life began in our Solar System.

The Solar System's planets take their names from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Mars is the god of war, while the red planet's two moons are named for the deity's twin sons: Deimos (meaning panic) and Phobos (fear).

Unlike our own Moon, Phobos and Deimos are tiny. Phobos has an average diameter of 22.2km, while Deimos measures an even smaller 13km. Neither moon is on a stable orbit, with Deimos slowly moving away from Mars while Phobos will hit the Martian surface in around 20 million years.

The small size of the two satellites makes their gravity too weak to pull the moons in spheres. Instead, the pair have the irregular, lumpy structure of asteroids. This has led to a major question about their formation: were these moons formed from Mars or are they actually captured asteroids?

Read more ~ MarsDaily

Image: Martian Moon eXploration Mission     Credit: JAXA

[the-telescope-times]

France, Japan aim to land probe on Mars moon

France and Japan want to recover pieces of a Martian Moon and bring them back to Earth, the head of France's National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) said Thursday.

The Martian Moons Exploration project would launch a probe in 2024 destined for Phobos, the largest and closest of two moons circling the Red Planet.

Paris and Tokyo signed a preliminary agreement on Monday, and will make a final decision before the end of the year, CNES president Jean-Yves Le Gall told AFP.

"It's a very important mission because -- besides the Moon -- it would be the first time samples from the satellite of a planet would be brought back to Earth," he said by phone.

Slightly egg-shaped, Phobos is 27 kilometres (17 miles) in diametre from end-to-end.

Analysing its composition would solve a long-standing question as to its origins.

One theory holds that the oblong moon is an asteroid captured by the gravitational pull of Mars. Another says that it is left-over matter from the Red Planet's creation event.

Landing on Phobos will also provide another vantage point for observing Mars, only 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) distant.

Getting there poses fewer challenges that landing on Mars, a graveyard for several failed missions.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

Image: Martian moon Phobos     Credit: Viking Project, JPL, NASA

[the-telescope-times]

Mars spacecraft's first missions face delays, NASA says

NASA will probably delay the first two missions of its Orion deep-space capsule, being developed to send astronauts beyond earth's orbit and eventually to Mars, the US space agency said on Thursday.

A report by NASA's Office of Inspector General cited technical as well as budget challenges.

The first launch of the Orion spacecraft atop the planned Space Launch System, or SLS -- set to become the world's most powerful rocket when it flies -- is currently scheduled for early November 2018 with no crew.

A second mission carrying astronauts is envisioned for August 2021 at the earliest.

However, "NASA's initial exploration missions on its Journey to Mars -- EM-1 and EM-2 -- face multiple cost and technical challenges that likely will affect their planned launch dates," the report said of the conclusions from a nine-month audit.

It cites delays in the development of the Orion service module, provided by the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as technical risks from changes in the design of the capsule's heat shield.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

Image: Concept artist's rendering of the Orion spacecraft.     Credit: NASA

[the-telescope-times]

Mars Rover Tests Driving, Drilling and Detecting Life in Chile's High Desert

Due to its extreme dryness, the Atacama Desert in Chile is one of the most important environments on Earth for researchers who need to approximate the conditions of Mars.

Working in 90-plus-degree heat in arguably the driest place on Earth, the team behind NASA's Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies, or ARADS, project just completed its second season of tests. The project aims to show that roving, drilling and life-detection can all happen together, with the goal of demonstrating the technical feasibility and scientific value of a mission that searches for evidence of life on Mars.

Thirty-five researchers, scientists, engineers and support staff spent a month testing tools and collecting scientific data on how life exists in the high desert today and how it first developed in this environment.

Geological and soil mineral evidence suggests that extremely dry conditions have persisted in the Atacama Desert for at least 10 to 15 million years, and possibly far longer. Coupled with strong, persistent ultraviolet radiation from the sun, this means that what little life exists in the Atacama is in the form of microbes living underground or inside rocks.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

Image: The rover in its mobile configuration with drill raised and visible at the front, arm stowed, and instruments closed.     Image courtesy NASA/CampoAlto/V. Robles

[the-telescope-times]

Final two ExoMars landing sites chosen

Two ancient sites on Mars that hosted an abundance of water in the planet's early history have been recommended as the final candidates for the landing site of the 2020 ExoMars rover and surface science platform: Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis. A primary technical constraint is that the landing site be at a suitably low level, so that there is sufficient atmosphere to help slow the landing module's parachute descent.

Then, the 120 x 19 km landing ellipse should not contain features that could endanger the landing, the deployment of the surface platform ramps for the rover to exit, and driving of the rover. This means scrutinising the region for steep slopes, loose material and large rocks.

Oxia Planum was selected in 2015 for further detailed evaluation. Although not yet complete, the investigation so far indicates that the region would meet the various constraints. In addition, one other site had to be chosen from Aram Dorsum and Mawrth Vallis.

After a two-day meeting with experts from the Mars science community, industry, and ExoMars project, during which the scientific merits of the three sites were presented alongside the preliminary compliance status with the engineering constraints, it was concluded that Mawrth Vallis will be the second site to be evaluated in more detail.

Around a year before launch, the final decision will be taken on which site will become the ExoMars 2020 landing target.

Read more ~ MarsDaily

Image: Artist's impression of ESA's ExoMars rover (foreground) and Russia's stationary surface science platform (background) on the surface of Mars.     Image courtesy ESA/ATG medialab.

For a larger version of this image please go here.