The Mars Yard at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory contains the ‘Scarecrow’ Curiosity rover, used to test going over obstacles and up slopes. The suspension system of Curiosity has a bogie (attached to 4 wheels) and rocker, with a cross bar (‘differential’) linking the two sides. This combines to allow even distribution of mass between […]
We have reached the fourth scoop of material for CHEMIN and the SAM mass spectrometer, so steadily we are building analyses that will help us reach the goals of our mission. This has been a typical few sols for us: we gather data from the downlinks, plan the acquisition of data with our instruments during the […]
One of the main aims of the scoops has been to get soils and dust of suitable fine grained size for the X-ray diffraction experiment – CHEMIN. We are waiting with excitement for the first results. X-ray photons from the radioactive Cobalt-60 source are diffracted at specific angles which depend on the X-ray photon wavelength […]
We go on a field trip to the Mojave Desert. This area of California contains alluvial fans, volcanic rocks, ancient lakes and hydrothermally altered rocks. It is also an area of little rainfall so it is in some respects an analogue for the Mars surface and the processes that have shaped Gale Crater. The use […]
As we are currently static in Rocknest the use of the Mast instruments comes to the fore. In particular, ChemCam is important. ChemCam uses a laser to hit rocks at a distance of metres away. This energy input creates a plasma above the laser spot. The light from this plasma is viewed with a spectrometer […]
While we work at Rocknest with scooping, imaging and analyses, we take the chance to look down into Glenelg. There is much discussion about what the landscape signifies but probably only the close up analyses using the robotic arm instruments will resolve the debates. Then felt I like some watcher of the skies […]
The camera imaging, ChemCam analyses and scooping are continuing as the small plastic fragment identified to the side of the scoop area is not critical for the arm’s operation. So in the 64th sol the rover continues to work without problems. The image shows a MastCam photo of the Rocknest site where we are taking […]
The first of our scoops is going well with the soil vibrated in the scoop to remove any excess. As part of the planned characterisation of the scoop area, the instrument team has identified and is double checking a tiny object to the side of the scooped area. Its origin and significance are not certain yet. There is a video of […]
One of the major challenges in preparing a spacecraft for Mars is ensuring that the chemical analyses made by the instruments, in particular for the SAM mass spectrometer are not contaminated by material brought from Earth. When looking for elements and organic compounds at parts per billion levels it becomes a critical issue. That is […]
Previous missions suggest that the ‘soil’ on Mars is roughly basaltic in composition. However, on Earth sand is mainly composed of quartz (silica). That reveals a fundamental difference between Mars and the Earth. The Earth has experienced plate tectonics, leading to crustal melting and the formation of silica-rich rocks like granites over much of […]
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