This stitched-together photo is a self-portrait of Curiosity.
(Credit: NASA)
The Mars Curiosity rover is the space mission that just keeps on giving. Most people won’t get an opportunity to step into mission control and quiz the scientists, but a Reddit Q&A has given us all a glimpse behind the scenes. Ten scientists and engineers fielded queries, covering everything from how long the mission could last to which songs are played at late-night NASA dance parties.
When asked about the rover’s most important discovery, deputy project scientist Joy Crisp chose one of the big ones.
“The results from our first rock drilling told us that the past environment, when that mudstone rock formed, was suitable for life,” says Crisp, pointing out that microbial life could have possibly existed on the planet, but that Curiosity isn’t equipped to detect it.
The rover’s official mission is scheduled to cover one Mars year (two Earth years), but the team expects the rover’s work to continue beyond that if it stays healthy. It could even last a decade. Just don’t expect it to cover too much ground.
“Curiosity will most likely never leave Gale crater – it is a big place (96 miles across) but there is so much to look at, many layers of rock that represent billions of years o… [Read more]
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