is a huge crack in the surface of Mars. is on a smooth Martian plain. Water also carried sediments onto the floor of a prospective lakebed. The impact caused the Martian surface to deform. Engineers, the shipbuilders, must be sure the rover can safely reach the site and drive within it. This region is the boundary between the southern highlands and northern lowlands of Mars. Running water carved deep gullies in the crater. Studies from orbit have revealed that the layers have different minerals depending on their height. Only seven survive (labeled in white). Eberswalde Crater offers the chance to explore an ancient river delta. Scientists now know that the plains have a complex story to tell. This landing site selection was made in June 2011 and it marked the end of a process that began in June 2006, when Mars scientists from around the world attended a workshop and compiled a list of 100 potential landing sites.

Meet Curiosity Use this interactive experience to learn about the Curiosity Rover and its adventures in the Pahrump Hills region of Gale Crater on Mars.

Not far away, the Opportunity rover found evidence of flowing water in the past. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! Along the way, the rover would investigate how the layers formed and the environments in which they formed. There, spacecraft have detected a diversity of minerals in the ancient crust. Four candidates were down selected in 2008. Later in the mission, the rover would cross onto older crust of the Noachian era. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Space calendar 2020: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more! The Curiosity rover landed at the foot of a layered mountain within this massive crater. Layered cliffs, which look like Neapolitan ice cream, are rich in clay minerals. Above the clay-bearing layers are layers with sulfur and oxygen-bearing minerals are above them. The rover's science payload can identify other ingredients of life, such as the carbon-based building blocks of biology called organic compounds. The area also spans two major eras of Martian history. Mount Sharp, Gale’s central … On Earth, this mound would be a mountain 5 kilometers (3 miles) high! As the mission progresses, Curiosity may eventually drive all the way to the top of Mount Sharp, but summiting is not the scientists’ main goal.

The number of candidate landing sites was reduced from seven to four. Sometimes, that difficult terrain is the best candidate for finding evidence of livable conditions. The Mars Science Laboratory rover would trace that history further back than ever before. The Mars Science Laboratory rover would trace that history further back than ever before. The Mars Science Laboratory rover would land in the center of the trough, amid rocks that splattered outward when the crater formed. Miyamoto Crater is just west of the Plains of Meridiani. The Mars tribe has spoken. Our image of the day, NASA to announce 'exciting new discovery' about the moon today. The ideal landing site will also have the elements essential to life as we know it, all located within a relatively smooth, safe landing area. Volcanic rocks are also abundant, left behind by cooling lava that filled the trough. Planetary protection is essential to preserve our ability to study other worlds as they exist in their natural states and to avoid introducing Earth life in a way that would obscure our ability to find life elsewhere. Safe means flat and fairly free of rocks. The latest news, images and videos from NASA's car-sized rover exploring the red planet for evidence the planet could have once supported life. They reveal clays and other materials like those found in the most ancient Martian rocks. They reveal clays and other materials like those found in the most ancient Martian rocks. News Article. Flowing water appears to have carved channels in both the mound and the crater wall. Holden Crater offers the opportunity to examine some of the most ancient rocks on Mars. ON THIS PAGE. The site is poised between Mars’ flat northern lowlands and the heavily cratered southern hemisphere.Curiosity’s goal is the layered mound of debris making up Mount Sharp. Curiosity will go beyond the "follow-the-water" strategy of recent Mars exploration. Mawrth Vallis itself is an ancient channel carved by catastrophic floods. These minerals form layers, kind of like the parts of a sandwich.

Over its mission, the rover would drive westward to a side canyon in the wall of the trough. That's because the water deposited sediments that hardened and became resistant to erosion. The Mars Science Laboratory science team would use the rover to piece together the history of this puzzling site and look for conditions favorable to life. Perhaps the water created an environment favorable to life. The area also spans two major eras of Martian history. The layers tell a story about what Mars was like in the past, perhaps spanning much of the history of the red planet. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? File contains a flat area in the bottom for adding a name plate/QR code.

Water on the moon is more common than we thought, studies reveal, Replay: NASA to announce moon discovery today, Pictures from space! The linear trough is about 25 kilometers (16 miles) wide. Scientists, the scholars, must be sure the chosen site is the most likely place where life might have had a chance.

Along the way, the rover would investigate how the layers formed and the environments in which they formed. The Mars Science Laboratory rover would land in the center of the trough, amid rocks that splattered outward when the crater formed. The impact caused the Martian surface to deform. The survivor site will join six previous winners (labeled in yellow). That is why the Mars Science Laboratory rover will be able to travel at least 20 kilometers (12 1/2 miles) from its landing site. An abundance of targeted images enabled thorough analysis of the safety concerns and scientific attractions of each site. Winds also formed ripples and dunes that are still visible on the surface today. Scientists are excited about studying such deposits to understand past environments that could have supported life. Curiosity Landing Site (QR) Gale Crater: Height map of the area around the Curiosity Rover landing site (263x356 km). Perhaps the water created an environment favorable to life. The rover's goals include an investigation of the Martian climate and geology; as… The region has one of the largest, most diverse exposures of clay minerals.

Nili Fossae Trough is a huge crack in the surface of Mars. More than 3.5 billion years old, they date to the Noachian era. A huge hole in the ground, the crater is 150 kilometers (93 miles) wide. Using the most powerful cameras and spectrographic instruments ever sent to the red planet, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been collecting data to help scientists evaluate each potential landing site in greater detail. Curiosity is a car-sized rover designed to explore the Gale crater on Mars as part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. Mobility, of course, will be essential for reaching areas such as cliffs that may contain many layers of rocks telling the story of past environments on Mars. Curiosity will go … Volcanic rocks are also abundant, left behind by cooling lava that filled the trough. After landing somewhere in the target ellipse on the floor of Gale Crater, the nuclear-powered Curiosity rover will roll up the flank of Mount Sharp, investigating clays and sulfates, minerals that form in the presence of water. If all goes well, Curiosity’s equipment could last six years or more. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

The water eventually disappeared. The number of candidate landing sites was reduced to seven. These minerals form layers, kind of like the parts of a sandwich. Today, many of these streambeds are higher than the surrounding terrain. Visit our corporate site.

Orbiters above Mars have detected clay minerals in the sediments. To persevere, a candidate landing site must win the confidence of two tribal clans. Today, many of these streambeds are higher than the surrounding terrain. Geological studies suggest that a massive, catastrophic flood may have breached part of the crater rim that was holding back water. NY 10036. The portion of the crater where Curiosity landed has an alluvial fan likely formed by water-carried sediments. is smack in the middle of a region that has always been mysterious to scientists. Holden Crater sits within a string of craters that look like a chain of alpine lakes connected by a stream.

In the southwestern portion of the crater floor, erosion has stripped them away. Later, wind eroded the surface and exposed ancient sediments. To get to the mound, the Mars Science Laboratory would land in a flatter part of the crater and carefully work its way upward, layer by layer. Mawrth Vallis is also conveniently near a hazard-free landing zone. Clay minerals contain water in their mineral structure and may preserve organic materials. This landing site selection was made in June 2011 and it marked the end of a process that began in June 2006, when Mars scientists from around the world attended a workshop and compiled a list of 100 potential landing sites. The rover's science payload can … Rocks formed in the presence of water fill the crater's northeastern half. Photos: Gale Crater, Mars Rover Landing Site, Mars Rover Curiosity: Complete Mars Science Laboratory Mission Coverage, How Mars Rover Curiosity's Nail-Biting Landing Works (Pictures). Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. Visit MSL for Scientists for technical information on landing site selection. In effect, Mars is lopsided. Managed by the Mars Exploration Program and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Mawrth Vallis itself is an ancient channel carved by catastrophic floods. sits within a string of craters that look like a chain of alpine lakes connected by a stream. They may yield information about past environments that could have supported life. After searching far and wide for a landing site that can tell them if Mars was ever livable for microscopic life, the tribe of Mars experts has eliminated dozens of contenders. Clays are evidence of past water activity for the Mars Science Laboratory to investigate. The Bradbury Landing site was less than 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from the center of the rover's touchdown target after a 560 million km (350 million mi) journey. Managed by the Mars Exploration Program and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

The eroded surfaces are windows into the very remote past. is just west of the Plains of Meridiani. Holden Crater offers the opportunity to examine some of the most ancient rocks on Mars. Stream channels in the delta have meandered over time. There, the rover would study clay minerals and evidence for past flowing water observed from orbit. These deposits are more than 3 billion years old, dating back to a wetter period of early martian history. The rover would use its on-board science lab to study the environment of early Mars and whether it could have been friendly for life. The final landing site selection for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is Gale Crater. Download full image ›. Not far away, the Opportunity rover found evidence of flowing water in the past. Their history involves flowing water, groundwater, lakes, and wind. That's because the water deposited sediments that hardened and became resistant to erosion. This image taken by the Mast Camera (MastCam) on NASA's Curiosity rover highlights the interesting geology of Mount Sharp, a mountain inside Gale Crater, where the rover landed. Clays form when water dissolves rocks into extremely fine-grained minerals.

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