The Verge - Curiosity: the latest on NASA's newest Mars roverhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52801/VER_Logomark_32x32..png2014-09-14T02:09:02-04:00http://www.theverge.com/rss/stream/29867322014-09-14T02:09:02-04:002014-09-14T02:09:02-04:00Curiosity rover reaches long-term goal: a massive Martian mountain
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<figcaption><a href='http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=pia18473'>NASA</a></figcaption>
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<p>A little over two years after landing, Curiosity has reached a milestone. NASA recently announced that the rover has arrived at the base of Mount Sharp, a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia15292-Fig2.html">3.4-mile-high mountain</a> that Curiosity has been heading towards since July of 2013. The initial landing was in Gale Crater, and the total journey has been around 9km or 5.5 miles — a number that becomes more impressive if you consider that Curiosity was designed to travel a maximum of 660 feet per day and navigate difficult terrain on its six wheels. The Spirit rover traveled only 4.8 miles over its lifespan, although the still-active Opportunity rover has logged about 25 miles since 2003. Curiosity's path was rerouted earlier this year after scientists found that sharp rocks were...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/9/14/6144385/curiosity-rover-reaches-long-term-goal-a-massive-martian-mountainAdi Robertson2014-02-06T20:06:58-05:002014-02-06T20:06:58-05:00Curiosity photo casts Earth and moon as 'evening stars' in Martian sky
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<img alt="earth from mars (nasa)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MNB9Ut7VpF2DS5sn20X2ngRlyyY=/34x0:1066x688/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3970963/PIA17936_fig1.jpg" />
<figcaption>earth from mars (nasa)</figcaption>
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<p>Many photos of Earth taken from space have entered into legend; <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Marble"><i>The Blue Marble</i></a>'s beautiful, glowing globe is one of the most recognizable images of all time, and <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot#Reflections_by_Sagan">Carl Sagan's <i>Pale Blue Dot</i></a> put our planet's place in the vastness of the universe into poignant perspective. The first image of Earth from Mars shot by <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/6/3222691/nasa-curiosity-rover-mars-science-laboratory">NASA's intrepid Curiosity rover</a> might not reach those heights, but it provokes a similar sense of wonder nonetheless.</p>
<p>Taken with <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/9/3232160/curiosity-mastcam-2-megapixel-camera-project-leader">Curiosity's Mastcam</a>, the shot casts Earth as the brightest object in the night sky, with the Martian landscape lending scale at the bottom of the frame. It's been processed to remove interference from cosmic rays, making the sky as clear as you might imagine. Look closely and you can just make out the...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/6/5387972/curiosity-photo-of-earth-from-marsSam Byford2013-12-27T20:40:01-05:002013-12-27T20:40:01-05:00Mars Curiosity Rover becomes a Lego set, while real rover wheels suffer damage
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<img alt="Mars Curiosity Rover lego cuusoo 640" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/feZOFY1ktevd8gJmAWpGcT8iGz0=/0x27:640x454/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3776095/21104_box3_glo__1_.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mars Curiosity Rover lego cuusoo 640</figcaption>
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<p>Here's another use for your newfound holiday cash: On New Year's Day, the Mars Curiosity Rover <a href="http://blog.lego.cuusoo.com/2013/12/18/lego-nasa-mars-curiosity-rover/">will become an official Lego set</a>. It's the latest success from the crowdsourced Lego Cuusoo project, which previously brought us <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/19/4539162/lego-back-to-the-future-delorean-available-august-1">the <em>Back to the Future</em> Lego DeLorean</a> and — fittingly — <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/16/2802302/minecraft-lego-pre-order-begins">a miniature <em>Minecraft</em> world</a>. Now, the company's offering an articulated version of the six-wheel Mars rover designed by an actual NASA engineer who worked on the Mars Curiosity project. It'll cost $29.99 on January 1st.</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/12/27/5249170/mars-curiosity-rover-becomes-a-lego-set-real-wheels-suffer-damageSean Hollister2013-12-09T13:31:32-05:002013-12-09T13:31:32-05:00Martian lake was able to support life for thousands of years
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<img alt="via <a href="http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/images/Grotzinger-3-pia17596-br2.jpg">mars.nasa.gov</a>" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KkHF5EMhijclEgql0XsDbp_jsWo=/0x54:1024x737/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/1958637/Grotzinger-3-pia17596-br2.jpg" />
<figcaption>via <a href="http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/images/Grotzinger-3-pia17596-br2.jpg">mars.nasa.gov</a></figcaption>
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<p>An ancient lake on Mars was capable of supporting life for tens or hundreds of thousands of years, researchers reported today based on findings from NASA's Curiosity rover. In March, NASA announced that <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/12/4094534/nasa-curiosity-rover-discovers-ancient-mars-could-have">the lake was once capable of supporting microbial life</a>, but little more was known. Now researchers have shown that the lake existed around 3.5-3.6 billion years ago and actually contained an "Earth-like" environment. "There would have been some snow, maybe ice up in the mountains around the crater rim," John Grotzinger, project scientist for Curiosity, said at a press conference this morning. "It's pretty darn similar to Earth."</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/12/9/5192350/mars-yellowknife-bay-capable-supporting-microorganismsJacob Kastrenakes2013-10-01T20:15:03-04:002013-10-01T20:15:03-04:00Mars Curiosity rover to continue operation despite federal government shutdown
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<img alt="curiosity" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/u4wH3U2t8cxpuS-xVBU-caj_Sco=/50x0:590x360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3011699/curiosity.jpg" />
<figcaption>curiosity</figcaption>
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<p>The shuttering of the federal government has <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/30/4789162/shutdown-us-2013-nasa-epa-hhs">resulted in NASA shutting down almost completely</a> — but for the time being at least, the Mars Curiosity rover won't be affected. A spokesperson for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which operates both Curiosity and the older Spirit rover, <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/us-government-shutdown-science-curiosity-goes-sleep-flu-monitoring-goes-offline-update-1412850" target="_blank">has clarified to <i>International Business Times</i></a> that JPL is a private contractor owned by the California Institute of Technology. As such, its personnel aren't among the 17,701 NASA employees that were furloughed today after the <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/1/4789506/us-government-shuts-down-after-congress-fails-to-pass-funding-bill">US Congress was unable to pass a funding bill</a>. That means at the moment Curiosity will continue to operate as scheduled, even if its <a href="http://Curiosity's%20Twitter%20account,%20on%20the%20other%20hand,%20i" target="_blank">Twitter account</a> has gone offline.</p>
<p>Still, that doesn't mean the rover couldn't run into issues should the...</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/1/4792742/mars-curiosity-rover-to-continue-operation-despite-federal-government-shutdownBryan Bishop2013-08-28T12:08:40-04:002013-08-28T12:08:40-04:00NASA's Curiosity rover is now driving itself
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<img alt="Curiosity self portrait" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YilYqjzAs3-WyiWdI97sA02npWo=/84x0:1016x621/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/1347063/Screen_Shot_2012-09-08_at_12.49.38_PM.png" />
<figcaption>Curiosity self portrait</figcaption>
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<p>NASA engineers have been piloting the Mars rover Curiosity for <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/6/3222691/nasa-curiosity-rover-mars-science-laboratory">over a year now</a>, but yesterday, <a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-08-nasa-mars-curiosity-debuts-autonomous.html" target="new">Curiosity finally took the wheel</a>. On Tuesday, the rover switched to its autonomous navigation system and took its first drive into unapproved territory, as part of a general shift that will help the rover to cover more ground.</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/28/4667794/nasa-curiosity-rover-is-now-driving-itselfRussell Brandom2013-08-05T20:18:01-04:002013-08-05T20:18:01-04:00Mars Curiosity rover sings 'Happy Birthday,' dares Earth to collect royalties
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<img alt="curiosity" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/u4wH3U2t8cxpuS-xVBU-caj_Sco=/50x0:590x360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/3011699/curiosity.jpg" />
<figcaption>curiosity</figcaption>
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<p>One year ago today, NASA's Curiosity rover <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/6/3222293/mars-curiosity-rover-lands-success">touched down</a> on the surface of Mars and began studying the planet. The rover may be lonely out there on its first birthday, but it won't go entirely without celebration: NASA has repurposed Curiosity's soil analysis system to play the tune of "Happy Birthday to You" out loud for all of Mars to hear.</p>
<p>Though the analysis system doesn't include a loudspeaker, it does include a motor that can loudly vibrate at very specific frequencies. Normally, the motor is used to help move soil through the analysis system, but it's been modified for the day to produce the exact frequencies that make up "Happy Birthday." Such a performance of the ubiquitous jingle would usually <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/14/4429412/happy-birthday-lawsuit-demands-warner-music-pay-back-royalites">require a license from Warner...</a></p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/5/4591848/nasa-programs-curiosity-vibrate-happy-birthday-marsJacob Kastrenakes2013-08-01T13:59:11-04:002013-08-01T13:59:11-04:00NASA Curiosity rover's first year on Mars captured in two-minute highlight video
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<img alt="Curiosity rover year one" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8MX0wgWSEsbAYu5RAMqBBxlkc9k=/7x0:799x528/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/assets/2993721/mars-curiosity-1-year.png" />
<figcaption>Curiosity rover year one</figcaption>
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<p>It seems like just yesterday that <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/8/6/3222293/mars-curiosity-rover-lands-success">NASA landed</a> its largest-ever interplanetary rover, Curiosity, on the surface of Mars. But now, after quite a bit of roving, drilling rocks, zapping them with <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/24/3382210/curiosity-laser-rock-jake-matijevic-test">lasers</a>, and uncovering evidence of <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/27/3419724/nasa-curiosity-rover-mars-water-stream">past liquid water </a>and an <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/12/4094534/nasa-curiosity-rover-discovers-ancient-mars-could-have">environment previously hospitable to microbial life</a>, Curiosity is gearing up to celebrate its first full year of operations on the Red Planet (in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.universetoday.com/14718/how-long-is-a-year-on-mars/">Earth time</a>, that is). In advance of the milestone on Tuesday, August 6th, <a target="_blank" href="http://youtu.be/8Alq08Poqb0">NASA published </a>a two-minute long video today of 548 images Curiosity captured along its mission so far.</p>
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https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/1/4579312/nasa-curiosity-rovers-first-year-on-mars-videoCarl Franzen