The venerable Red Planet rover can detect signs of the aridity of Mars’ climate in ancient times.
NASA for a long time Waste The mission, which will mark its 10th anniversary on the Red Planet in August, climbs the slopes of Mount Sharp (Aeolus Mons) to track climate change from Mars over the ages. Over the past year or so of wandering, Curiosity has noticed that the water-rich mud is giving way to a transition zone filled with salty sulfate. Scientists currently believe that these features determine where streams have dried up and dune formation, according to NASA. Statement (Opens in a new tab).
This means that lake sediments that inhabited the lower slopes are not as common as Curiosity that reaches up the mountain. “Instead, we see a lot of evidence of drier climates, like dry dunes that were sometimes surrounded by streams,” Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity project scientist at JPL, said in the statement.
Related: 12 stunning photos of the first year of the Perseverance rover on Mars
In addition to more sulfates, geological features attract the attention of scientists. They see sediments probably deposited in mounds of ‘flowing strata’, including one dubbed”the bowby team members.
JPL said the area has a complex history, including a story of dry origin as an area riddled with sand dunes and some areas that appear to have waterborne sediments.
“Making the story richer and more complex is knowing that there were multiple periods during which groundwater flowed and ebbed over time, leaving a jumble of puzzle pieces for Curiosity scientists to piece together,” the officials added in the statement. in an accurate timetable.
Although the rover is still performing well, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has indicated that it is showing the inevitable signs of aging, including Holes on its aluminum wheels who have been navigating the terrain of Mars since Curiosity’s landing on August 5, 2012.
The left center wheel, as shown in photos taken on June 2 of this year, has more damage and gaps in the lugs (addressed). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory said the studs were unlikely to disengage completely, but ground tests have shown that at worst the rover can roll over the edges of its wheels if necessary.
Curiosity also experienced a brief safe-mode crash on June 7 after an unexpected overheating of the device’s control box. The craft exited safe mode after two days on the ground, and team members are investigating the cause.
“They suspect safe mode was triggered after the temperature sensor gave an inaccurate reading, and there is no indication that this would significantly affect rover operations, as backup temperature sensors can ensure that electronics inside a body do not overheat. Rover.” JPL said.
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