Aug 9, 2012

NASA lands Curiosity rover on Mars

Nick Tann 23 Comments NASA Curiosity, Gale Crater, HiRISE, Mars, Mars Descent Imager, Mount Sharp, NASA, space

Our latest Curiosity rover coverage will now be posted in a new gallery, which will continue to grow with NASA’s latest photos of Mars. The images below cover Curiosity’s historic landing and NASA’s following press briefing.

—
On August 5, 2012 at 10:31 p.m. PDT, the world witnessed NASA’s rover landing on the Marian surface marking the next exciting phase for the $2.5 billion (USD) Mars Science Laboratory and Curiosity rover mission. The mobile lab is equipped with nuclear-powered capabilities to vaporize rocks, ingest soil, and determine whether Mars was ever inhabited by smaller forms of life. For updates follow @MarsCuriosity on Twitter.

: August 6 2012: Mars Science Laboratory team member Miguel San Martin, left, and Sarah Milkovich speak during a press briefing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Ca-ada Flintridge after NASA’s successful MSL Curiosity landing. Animation of the MSL Curiosity is on screen in the background. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

: August 6, 2012: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission manager Jennifer Trosper speaks at a press conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

: August 6, 2012: Mars Descent Imager principal investigator Michael Malin (C), Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission director Jennifer Trosper (L) and MSL deputy project scientist Joy Crisp discuss an image sent by the Mars Rover Curiosity showing the heat shield falling away from the Rover (not in photo) as it descents toward the Martian surface at a press conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

: August 6, 2012: This color thumbnail image was obtained by NASA’s Curiosity rover during its descent to the surface of Mars and transmitted to Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The image was obtained by the Mars Descent Imager instrument known as MARDI and shows the 15-foot (4.5-meter) diameter heat shield when it was about 50 feet (16 meters) from the spacecraft. It was obtained two and one-half minutes before touching down on the surface of Mars and about three seconds after heat shield separation. The resolution of all of the MARDI frames is reduced by a factor of eight in order for them to be promptly received on Earth during this early phase of the mission. Full resolution (1,600 by 1,200 pixel) images will be returned to Earth over the next several months as Curiosity begins its scientific exploration of Mars. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Getty Images)

: August 6, 2012: Jennifer Trosper, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission manager, points out the communications antenna on a model of NASA’s Mars science rover Curiosity as she speaks during a news conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 6 2012: Mars Science Laboratory team member Miguel San Martin, left, and Sarah Milkovich speak during a press briefing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Ca-ada Flintridge after NASA’s successful MSL Curiosity landing. Animation of the MSL entering Martian atmosphere is on screen in the background. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)

: August 6, 2012: This color thumbnail image was obtained by NASA’s Curiosity rover during its descent to the surface of Mars and transmitted to Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. This image from Curiosity’s Mars Descent Imager reveals surface features including relatively dark dunes, degraded impact craters and other geologic features including small escarpments that range in size from a few feet (meters) to many tens of feet (meters) in height. The image was obtained one minute 16 seconds before touchdown. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Getty Images)

: August 6, 2012: A general view shows a 70 metre dish (L) and 34metre dish (R) that are tracking NASA’s Mars science laboratory car-sized rover Curiosity at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Station at Tidbinbilla in Canberra. (Mark Graham/AFP/Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity Rover mission managers, flight controllers, scientists and administrators speak at a press conference after the Mars Rover Curiosity successfully landed on the surface of the Red Planet at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover flight controllers and managers (L-R) Richard Cook, Pete Theisinger and Adam Steltzner congratulate their team members after a successful rover landing, during a news conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. One of the first images from the rover is projected on background. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover team member Miguel San Martin (C) waves an American flag after a successful rover landing, as he arrives for a news conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover flight controllers and managers (L-R) NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, JPL director Charles Elachi, NASA associate administrator John Grunsfeld, Richard Cook, Pete Theisinger, Adam Steltzner and John Grotzinger stand as they celebrate after a successful rover landing, during a news conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Bloggers, Twitter and Facebook social media users type on their computers at a desk with the hastag #CONGRATS written on it using peanuts after the Mars Rover Curiosity successfully landed on the surface of the Red Planet at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: One of the first images taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover is transmitted to Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden congratulates NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate John M. Grunsfeld, after the Mars Science laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity successfully landed on Mars, inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Brian van der Brug-Pool/Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: Administrator Charles Bolden smiles as the rover begins its decent to the surface of mars, inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Brian van der Brug-Pool/Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: Telecom engineer Peter Ilott hugs a colleague, celebrating a successful landing inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Brian van der Brug-Pool/Getty Images)

: This artist’s concept shows the sky crane maneuver during the descent of NASA’s Curiosity rover to the Martian surface. By the time the robotic Mars laboratory streaks into the thin Martian atmosphere at hypersonic speed on Sunday night, the spacecraft will be in charge of its own seven-minute final approach to the surface of the Red Planet. (NASA-JPL/Handout/Reuters)

: August 6, 2012: Jasper Goldberg (front, 2nd L), 22, and Andreas Bastian (front, 2nd R), 22, watch a live broadcast of the NASA Mission Control center, as the planetary rover Curiosity lands on Mars, in Time Square, in New York. (Andrew Burton/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden closes his eyes prayerfully as the rover begins its decent to the surface of mars, inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Brian van der Brug-Pool/Getty Images)

: The target landing area for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission is the ellipse marked on this image of Gale Crater on Mars (top L). The ellipse is about 12 miles long and 4 miles wide (20 kilometers by 7 kilometers). his view of Gale Crater is derived from a combination of data from three Mars orbiters. The view is looking straight down on the crater from orbit. Gale Crater is 96 miles (154 kilometers) in diameter. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/MSSS/Handout/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Flight Systems Chief Engineer Rob Manning (L) smiles as he watches MSL Flight Director Keith Comeaux move the final marble from a jar marked “Days Until Entry” to the jar marked “Days Since Launch” at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

: In this handout image provided by NASA, an empty jar marked “Days Until Entry” and a jar full of marbles marked “Days Since Launch” sit on a conference room table during a meeting of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. The MSL team has been moving one marble a day since launch from jar to jar. (Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: Activity lead Bobak Ferdowsi, who cuts his hair differently for each mission, works inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. (Brian van der Brug/AFP/Getty Images)

: August 5, 2012: Actress June Lockhart, best know for her TV roles in “Lost in Space” and “Lassie”, poses for a photograph in the newsroom at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calfiornia. Lockhart was an invited guest for the Mars landing. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Dr. Charles Elachi, JPL Director, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (L), and John Grunsfeld, NASA associate administrator, NASA headquarters, speak during a news conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. A scale model of the Cassini spacecraft which is still orbiting Saturn is shown in the background. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Actress Nichelle Nichols, who played the character Uhura in the original “Star Trek” TV series, poses at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calfiornia. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: An artist’s concept of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft approaching Mars. The Curiosity rover is safely tucked inside the spacecraft’s aeroshell. The mission’s approach phase begins 45 minutes before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere and lasts until the spacecraft enters the atmosphere. This illustration depicts a scene after the spacecraft’s cruise stage has been jettisoned, which will occur 10 minutes before atmospheric entry. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Musician will.i.am (R) and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin speak during a news conference at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. will.i.am attended the conference to promote science and technology education. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: A specially marked jar of peanuts sits on a workstation inside the Spaceflight Operations Facility for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. In a long-standing tradition before critical mission events dating back to the 1960’s, the control room crew will eat some good luck peanuts. (Brian van der Brug/Pool/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Actor Seth Green talks with members of NASA Social, individuals who use social media about NASA’s missions, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: Jeff Norris, manager of the Planning and Execution Systems Section at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explains the new “Mars Rover Landing” game for Xbox Live, which simulates the landing of Mars Science Laboratory on Mars at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California. (Fred Prouser/Reuters)

: August 5, 2012: NASA’s Mars Odyssey spacecraft passes above Mars’ south pole in this artist’s concept illustration. (NASA-JPL/Handout/Reuters)

: August 2, 2012: This NASA close-up image of a dust storm on Mars was acquired by the Mars Color Imager instrument on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on November 7, 2007, around 3 p.m. local time on Mars. Scientists working with NASA’s Curiosity rover, which is set to land on Mars on August 5, 2012 PDT (August 6 EDT), are monitoring Mars each day for similar small storms that could either drift over the landing site or stir up dust that moves as haze over the site. This image is centered on Utopia Planitia (53.6 degrees north latitude, 147.9 degrees east longitude), along the north seasonal polar cap edge in late northern winter. (NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS HO/AFP/Getty Images)

: August 1, 2012: An artist’s conception of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover shows the mobile robot investigating Mars’ past or present ability to sustain microbial life. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/HO/AFP/Getty Images)

: July 25, 2012: Three of six 20 inch aluminum wheels are seen on an engineering model of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover as it navigates a sandy, Mars-like environment named the Mars Yard at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

: Three Generations of Rovers are pictured in the Mars Test Yard at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California in this undated handout photograph. Front and left is the flight spare for the first Mars rover, Sojourner, which landed on Mars in 1997 as part of the Mars Pathfinder Project. The Mars Exploration Rover Project test rover (L) is a working sibling to Spirit and Opportunity, which landed on Mars in 2004. Next (R) is a Mars Science Laboratory test rover the size of that project’s Mars rover, Curiosity, which is on course for landing on Mars on August 5, 2012. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout/Reuters)

: July 25, 2012: A high gain antenna is seen atop an engineering model of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover as it navigates a sandy, Mars-like environment named the Mars Yard at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

: July 25, 2012: A Rover crossing sign is seen outside of a sandy, Mars-like environment named the Mars Yard where engineering models of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover are tested at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

: July 25, 2012: An engineering model of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is seen from the rear in a sandy, Mars-like environment named the Mars Yard at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. (Danny Moloshok/Reuters)

: November 26, 2011: An Atlas V rocket blasts off at Cape Canaveral carrying the biggest and baddest robot ever to land on another planet: an SUV-sized rover nicknamed “Curiosity” that comes equipped with a “rock-zapping” laser. This is the beginning of Curiosity’s 354 million-mile journey to Mars. (RedHuber/OrlandoSentinel)

MORE: Curiosity rover seen by HiRISE camera on orbiting Martian satellite

NASA rover Curiosity makes historic Mars landing, beams back photos
Irene Klotz Reuters
12:17 p.m. EDT, August 8, 2012

PASADENA, California (Reuters) – NASA’s newly landed Mars science rover Curiosity snapped the first color image of its surroundings while an orbiting sister probe photographed litter left behind during the rover’s daring do-or-die descent to the surface, scientists said Tuesday.

Curiosity’s color image, taken with a dust cover still on the camera lens, shows the north wall and rim of Gale Crater, a vast basin where the nuclear-powered, six-wheeled rover touched down Sunday night after flying through space for more than eight months.

The picture proved that one of the rover’s key instruments, a camera known as the Mars Hand Lens Imager, or MAHLI, was in good working order affixed to the end of Curiosity robot arm.

Read More.

23 Comments

arek99
Oct 08, 2012 @ 15:06:14

NASA YOU ARE THE BEST

Andi Prama
Aug 12, 2012 @ 00:14:22

Tweet from @AndiPrama
————————
@AndiPrama: RT @AndiPrama: In the 1990’s Pathfinder and now Curiosity, ‘analyze’ in Mars with the same binoculars? Obama, you are out of your mind!

ali sher misgeri
Aug 11, 2012 @ 21:23:56

COGRAULATION TO SUCESS TO HUMAIN TRANSFER TO NEW WORLD

Oliver Vasquez
Aug 11, 2012 @ 20:06:01

I never tought this could happened in my living years,this great news has inspired my life in every manner. I want to thank all the people that have been a part of this great mission( Curiosity Rover on Mars) you all are the greatest of mankind…..!!!!!! I would have loved to be a part of this team,but maybe in another life…once again amazing work NASA scientist and staff…

Dr. Menon
Aug 11, 2012 @ 09:33:26

Bit of doubt , wont the pebbles and dust strewn deck of curiosity affect the sensitive electrical circuits ?

Malik
Aug 11, 2012 @ 00:55:13

Any volunteers for landing on Mars?

Samuel Martin
Aug 11, 2012 @ 00:40:27

WHERE are all those HUNDREDS of STREAMING photos we paid billions for? Why didnt you stream them online? Do you have to EDIT them because you are afraid we might see something that we shouldnt see?
I want my pictures!!!

Evelyn
Aug 11, 2012 @ 00:28:28

Sky is not the limit!!

Van Snyder
Aug 09, 2012 @ 21:40:07

The caption for photo #50 says that the Cassini spacecraft is still orbiting Mars. It’s orbiting Saturn.

- Stokely Baksh
  Aug 09, 2012 @ 22:44:23
  
  We apologize for the error, it has been corrected in the caption. Thanks.
  
MD. MAHBUBUL ALAM(PRINCIPAL)
Aug 08, 2012 @ 15:34:18

The Darkroom’s report on NASA’s Curiosity Mission on the Mars discloses the latest update of the event. This mission is very costly and high ambitious but a final solution for the mankind’s long curiosity about the planet. So thanks to Darkroom to participate in the historical news release.

Ray
Aug 08, 2012 @ 12:26:49

Any thoughts given to ensure that the parachute does not go “blowin’ in the wind” and endanger Curiousity?

Herb
Aug 08, 2012 @ 12:24:25

What an accomplishment. Truly a work of teamwork and execution.

don
Aug 08, 2012 @ 07:35:14

i hopeing we find signs of pass life and love the work you men are doing keep up the good work

don
Aug 08, 2012 @ 07:29:57

great work.

Clarence Larry
Aug 07, 2012 @ 22:04:36

Climb the highest mountain haters will call it a hill . sley the dragon that slaughter there friends and family haters say the dragon had lost his will to kill. save there jobs haters will say you spent to much give them a doctor to see haters will say oboma care . ATTENTION HATERS THE ROVER HAS LANDED O YES WE WILL AGAIN

Jerry Lehane III
Aug 07, 2012 @ 21:41:26

I suggest traveling to the sky-crane crash and studying it from every possible angle like a crime scene.

JIm
Aug 07, 2012 @ 16:34:52

A truly astonishing feat of engineering, considering that it all had to be done by the robot and support craft with only delayed assistance from NASA communications. Just ponder all the variables that had to be dealt with when this was designed!

Alas though. Such great feats are often done just before a great power implodes on itself. The educational and societal forces that compiled this team of scientists and engineers cannot be reproduced. It cannot be thrown together like a telemarketing boiler room or Initech cubicle farm. If we allow NASA to atrophy and wither for the sake of keeping the 0.1% and the banking mafia happy, then history will curse the U.S. for having it all and then throwing it away for a mess of fiat pottage.

barbara brardt
Aug 06, 2012 @ 20:55:02

I am a devotee of Obama, but I don’t believe his bullshit you printed above. I believe it is another lie printed by the Rebubliacian, because Mr. Bownd would say that! I am astonished and my vote will go to who ever gives the most budget to NASA as I believe it is our only hope for our disendences.
Please tell me you didn’t say that Mr. President!
Our family loves you,
Barbara, Kris and Wolfgang

elcorobert
Aug 06, 2012 @ 19:09:10

Great success! I’ve also found this video of news conference on Curiosity’s landing and seen what NASA people have been through these days – ABSOLUTE HELL:
http://www.nublobits.com/?v=FVzfDZlEwaU&n=Curiosity-Lands-on-Mars-News-Conference

Irf Bownd
Aug 06, 2012 @ 12:36:31

Someone reported that – Obama was so moved by the landing that he had to fight back tears, when he said “If only I could have cut even more of NASA’s budget, maybe I could have prevented this from happening”

Ravishankar
Aug 06, 2012 @ 11:57:56

Fantastic work

Bill Kenney
Aug 06, 2012 @ 11:53:56

Congratulations on a very successful landing!!!

NASA lands Curiosity rover on Mars

MORE: Curiosity rover seen by HiRISE camera on orbiting Martian satellite

23 Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel