VIDEO
NASA's Curiosity rover is trying out a new drilling method so it can get back to pulverizing a little bit of Mars.
NASA's Curiosity rover has encountered a few hiccups during its journey on Mars, including
worn wheels ,
electrical issues and a balky drill. The wheels are holding together and it has recovered from the electrical problems, but the drill has haunted the machine for over a year.
The drill works by grinding a tiny bit of Mars into powder so it can be placed into Curiosity's onboard lab instruments for closer examination.
A new Curiosity drilling method produced this hole
on Feb. 26.NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
In late 2016, the rover's drill hit a snag when the motor used to extend it between its two stabilizers stopped working. The Curiosity team back on Earth has been trying to figure out a fix ever since. It may have finally hit on a workable solution.
First, the team got the drill to extend, but they could no longer use the stabilizers.
NASA describes the new drilling method as
"more freehand." Curiosity now pushes the drill down with its arm and monitors its progress by using a force sensor to keep the drill from wandering or getting stuck.
A
NASA photo released Wednesday
shows a very satisfying view of the Martian surface with a small light-gray mound of dust visible in the image. NASA says the half-inch (1-centimeter) hole is
"enough to validate that the new method works mechanically."
NASA deputy project manager Steven Lee says the rover is now behaving more like a human would with a drill.
Humans are pretty good at re-centering the drill, almost without thinking about it. Programming Curiosity to do this by itself was challenging -- especially when it wasn't designed to do that.
NASA playfully calls this solution
"MacGyvering." The Curiosity team has also come up with a new way to deliver the samples into the rover with a process it likens to applying seasoning by tapping a salt shaker.
The first test is promising, but Curiosity will next need to drill a deeper hole and try out the shaker method.
Scientists are eager to learn more about the rover's current location in an area rich with hematite.
"Drilled samples might shed light on the origin of the ridge and the history of its interaction with water," says NASA.
Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet
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Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Putting humans on Mars has been a staple of science fiction and a goal of numerous scientists for decades. Today, thanks to technological advances, fascinating images sent back from the Red Planet by rovers and orbiters, and growing concerns about our future here on Earth, interest in putting boots in that red soil is at an all-time high. Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet OSIRIS-REx is currently traveling to near-Earth asteroid Bennu on a sample return mission, designed in part to practice the type of robotic operations that will be useful for Mars. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Musk's long-term vision for Mars is audacious. He envisions huge transport ships delivering colonists over the next century to create a Martian metropolis of a million people. He's also proposed terraforming the planet, perhaps by using nuclear explosions to trigger climate change. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet NASA, SpaceX and Mars One are all aiming to land people on our neighboring planet in the next 15 years or so, each on their own timelines and using different architectures. Here's a look at all three road maps, starting with a plan from Iron Man himself, SpaceX founder Elon Musk. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Making the long journey to Mars while staying safe and healthy will require more than a space-worthy Winnebago. A deep space habitat has been tested under desert conditions here on Earth, and NASA hopes to launch such a habitat for missions to cislunar space in the next decade or so. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet A rendering of a SpaceX rocket heating up on entry into the Martian atmosphere. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Musk says it should be possible to make Mars a "nice place to be." This could take some work, given all the ways to die there. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Lockheed Martin's vision for a Mars surface lander is called the Mars Accent Descent Vehicle. The company says the craft could let astronauts explore the Red Planet's surface for two weeks at a time before they'd have to return to the Mars Base Camp. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 296 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet The latest concept in living on Mars comes from Lockheed Martin, which has designed its Mars Base Camp as a kind of orbiting waypoint for Mars exploration. The Martian space station is designed to integrate with NASA's Orion and also with landing craft traveling to and from the surface. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet An Uber won't get you to Mars just yet. Fortunately, NASA has already been testing its new Orion crew capsule that could ride atop the Space Launch System to one day transport astronauts to the red planet. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet SpaceX built a development fuel tank to test ahead of building the BFR. Note the people below for scale. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet NASA's planned Deep Space Gateway will be a small space station orbiting the moon, where crews can test technologies and prepare for future journeys to Mars. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet SpaceX's secret sauce is its reusable rockets, which Elon Musk says bring down the cost of accessing space, and by extension, Mars. As of this writing, the company has successfully recovered 16 first stage Falcon 9 boosters and also successfully relaunched previously used rockets. The precision landing technology can also be used to land on other worlds. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet NASA has no designs to move a million people to Mars, but it's hoping to send astronauts in a little over 15 years. The goal of getting to the Red Planet in the 2030s was set during the Obama administration, and President Donald Trump made 2033 the official target date earlier this year. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Mars One's plans have been met with criticism, but the plan for a small, permanent colony is still moving forward. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Mars One plans to contract with a third party like Lockheed Martin to supply its lander technology. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Original plans call for Mars One colonists to make a one-way trip, without the ability to return to Earth, ever. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Finally, the culmination of decades of research, development, training and prep-launches will be the landing of human astronauts on Mars to establish a research base. NASA's current timeline has the first landing happening in 2033 or later. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet For 15 years, Elon Musk's SpaceX has been building better rockets with the ultimate goal of getting to Mars. In 2016 he finally revealed his road map for getting there, at a conference in Mexico. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet NASA sees the long road to Mars in three phases. The first is underway right now with research on the International Space Station that wlll inform Mars missions in the future. Partnering with private Mars fanatics like Musk on missions closer to home is also part of the plan. But the most exciting work happening today is the development of the hardware to travel further in space. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet NASA is soon to move into the second phase of the journey to Mars with missions to prove its deep space prowess a little closer to home. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet The third phase of NASA's Martian road map involves getting further away from Earth and closer to boots in the red dirt. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet The key to the SpaceX Mars road map is what Musk calls the "BFR" (for "Big F***ing Rocket"), a vehicle he says can outperform some of the most powerful rockets ever made, including the Saturn V that took Apollo astronauts to the moon. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Musk says the BFR can haul 4,400 tons to Mars. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet In September 2017, Musk unveiled a refined, slightly smaller design for the SpaceX Interplanetary Transport. The ship is massive even after it separates from its rocket boosters, with a payload eight stories tall, enough room to fit smaller rockets inside ... or a bunch of adventurous explorers. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet A cross-section view of the BFR, minus the rocket boosters designed to separate and return to Earth for refueling after launch. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet When set up for a Mars flight, the Interplanetary Transport has room for 40 cabins for the long trip. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Musk hopes to send his rockets to Mars within five years to start setting up infrastructure in preparation for the first people to visit, a few years later. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 513 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Musk says the BFR could also make trips to a lunar base. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Though he offered few details on exactly how it will all come together, Musk did show this rendering of a potential future Mars colony during a speech at the International Astronautical Congress on Sept. 29. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527 Humans on Mars: An atlas of plans to land on the Red Planet Ferrying all the infrastructure and supplies needed to set up shop on Mars will require lots of firepower, and NASA's answer is the Space Launch System (SLS), its next-generation rocket designed with deep space missions in mind. originaldate 1/1/0001 6:00:00 AM width 936 height 527
source:CNet News
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