A Mars First! Curiosity drills into bedrock

At the center of this image from NASA’s Curiosity Rover is the hole in a rock called “John Klein” where the rover conducted its first sample drilling on Mars.

NASA's Curiosity rover made history by drilling into a Martian rock to collect samples, making it the first time any robot has ever performed this complicated tactic on the surface of another planet. The drilling took place in February 8th and they used a drill located at the end of the rover’s robotic arm; it made a hole about 0.63 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep into a sedimentary rock. NASA’s associate administrator for the agency's science mission directorate, Jon Grunsfeld, has been quoted as saying that "this is the biggest milestone accomplishment for the Curiosity team since the sky crane landing last August, another proud day for America". “We'll take the powder we acquired and swish it around to scrub the internal surfaces of the drill bit assembly," said JPL's Scott McCloskey, they thought the rock held evidence about long-gone wet environments. Over the next couple of days, the laboratory will utilize the instruments necessary to analyze the rock powder acquired from the drill and they want to use ground controllers to command the robotic arm to investigate further on the sample taken from the sediment. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory ordered the first in depth drilling and believes the picked up enough material from the rock to meet the goal of hardware cleaning and sample drop-off. Before the rock powder is analyzed; some will be used to find traces of material that may have been placed onto the hardware while the rover was still on Earth. Then NASA will use the arm of the rover to transfer the powder out of the drill into the scoop, which will allow them the chance to see the acquired sample. The rock Curiosity drilled is called "John Klein" in memory of a Mars Science Laboratory deputy project manager who died in 2011. Drilling for a sample is the last new activity for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Project, which is using the car-size Curiosity rover to investigate whether an area within Mars' Gale Crater has ever offered an environment favorable for life.

Sources: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

Chemistry Group: Melina Borghi and Melissa Cruz.

Curiosity is Finally Seeing the Light!

Close-up of the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has recently used for the first time the camera positioned on its arm to take photos at night, equipped with white lights and ultraviolet lights this camera brings a new perspective to the research. Scientists developed the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) instrument to get a closer look during the nighttime at rocks such as "Sayunei," in an area where Curiosity's front-left wheel had scuffed the rock to provide fresh, dust-free materials to examine. This is very relevant because this rock is close to where the rover team plans to start the drilling process in the upcoming weeks. This means that with the nighttime camera fully functional, the team can drill at anytime of the day. The MAHLI, an adjustable-focus color camera, includes its own LED (light-emitting diode) illumination sources. The MAHLI Principal Investigator Ken Edgett of Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego explores the meaning of the camera, as "the purpose of acquiring observations under ultraviolet illumination was to look for fluorescent minerals." Source:http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1416

Engineering Group: Jesus Bohorquez, Katherine Garcia.

Metal in Mars? Curiosity’s MasCam Feeds Our Curiosity

Scientific collaborators for Curiosity’s Jet propulsion Laboratory were startled at the sight of what seemed to be a piece of a shiny metallic rock projecting out into the surface of the Red Planet. The unusual appearance of this unexpected object needed a human point of comparison and therefore has been said to resemble a door handle or hood ornament. Yet, this unusual event has been approached and studied in a very realistic manner. Curiosity’s team has assumed it may be a photographical illusion of their MasCam Chemistry camera or a natural effect of erosion, not a metallic part of something left behind. It is only logical to assume that this amazing detail extending out of Mar’s surface is only a projection due to wind erosion as the other rocks surrounding the area are eroded as well, though not so finely. Yet, it’s the fact that the rock beneath the projection is less resistant to wind that allows the rock on top to emerge. Fundamentally, since it is fine-grained, it is more likely to be a harder rock and consequently more resistant to the average winds of the area. And while the wind cannot erode it, it is also the wind that polishes it and may have given it its metallic appearance. Resoruces: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20130211.html

Chemistry group: Valentina Leon, Marlenis Rey, Carmen Echavarria.

Where did the atmospheric gases and water on Mars go?

A closeup of rocks in Yellowknife Bay on Mars. Image courtesy MSSS/Caltech/NASA

There is evidence to that effect that Mars had both water and a gaseous atmosphere in the past. These hospitable conditions did not continue because of the gravity the planet was too weak to sustain them. On July 31st, 2008 reporters from NASA said “We have water in Mars”. This is the first time water had been detected, a hypotheses that had been long held. However, the water and gaseous atmosphere once found in Mars has disappeared. Current condition reports from Mars describe an environment with low temperatures and pressures. Any liquid water would immediately freeze and sublime. We know from Earth’s history that without water, life cannot exist. These findings of water historically on Mars means that life would be perhaps somewhere hidden on Mars. Think about it,bit by bit, piece by piece we will be a step further to understanding Mars incognita: is there life on Mars?

Meander in Scamander Vallis, as seen by Mariner 9. Such images implied that large amounts of water once flowed on the surface of Mars.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/130115-curiosity-mars-drill-water-space-science/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_on_Mars

Students, Biology Group: Dayana Gonzalez, Teresa Blanco.

Is a Calcium Carbonated Mars, the Secret to it all?

On January 18th 2013, the Mars Laboratory department of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, led by Justin Makin, announced Curiosity’s discovery of Calcium Carbonate in Yellow Knife Bay. Curiosity’s first drill activity provided with evidence of CaCO3 in the veins of rocks where the drilling took place. For life of on Earth, calcium is a relevant element. Chalk, which consists mainly of calcium carbonate, is used in practically all of America’s classrooms and it has been used as a fertilizer to promote agriculture. However, this abundant substance could possibly be the clue to the mystery of the past existence of water in Mars. On Earth, carbonate rocks only occur through chemical means or with aid of living organisms both of which require water. Also, these carbonates could have concealed the fossils of ancient bacteria that once existed in the Red Planet. According to a previous statement of scientist Ken Nealson JPL, “If you were lucky enough to find some carbonates in the layered terrains on Mars, scientists would get very excited…” This is now a reality! It is now safe to hypothesize that maybe at one point Mars was not the deserted place it now is because on Earth, calcium carbonate can be found on the sea floor but it can also be found on the shells of marine creatures. And while Earth can only serve as a point of reference, as both planets are quite different, and since Mar’s atmosphere only contains CO2, scientist still expect the water that possibly flowed in Mars to be liquid as well.

Sources: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

Chemistry group: Carmen Echavarria, Valentina Leon, Marlenis Rey.

Preparing to dig

The percussion drill in the turret of tools at the end of the robotic arm of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has been positioned in contact with the rock surface in this image from the rover's front Hazard-Avoidance Camera (Hazcam). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech (www.jpl.nasa.gov)

The rover’s arm with the drill has been positioned on a patch of flat, veined rock called "John Klein" which lies inside the Gale Crater. The rover was commanded to press down on the rock to prepare for upcoming days. This test was carried out on January 27 and it was so engineers could make sure that the pressure applied matched their predictions.

Now the next stop is overnight which will assure engineers that the drill will be able to withstand the change in temperature. Mars climate has a huge change in temperature from noon to midnight. Temperatures rise as high as 0 degrees Celsius and drop as low as 65 degrees Celsius below freezing. This big change in temperature causes the rover’s arm to grow and shrink one tenth of an inch. These are is a small test which helps us understand the effect of temperature on the hardware without actually putting the hardware at risk.

So now we wait for the results of the test and hope that one day Curiosity will be ready to dig into the red planet.

Engineering Group: Eduardo J. Lopez,Dasmany Deniz, Ariel Castro