| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Did Mars Support Life? Major NASA Press Conference Thursday To Review Curiosity Progress, Curiosity Checks In On Foursquare
On Sol 56 (Oct. 2, 2012), Curiosity drove about 20 feet (6 meters) westward to reach a ripple of sand and dust deposited by the wind at a soil patch called “Rocknest.” This site is a potential target for the rover’s first use of its scoop, which the team will be evaluating over the next few days.
Activities on Sol 56 also included monitoring the environment around Curiosity with the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) instrument, and the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS). A raw image from Curiosity’s front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Hazcam) after the Sol 56 drive, showing a ripple at Rocknest, is at http://1.usa.gov/PstZsE .
Sol 56, in Mars local mean solar time at Gale Crater, ended at 8:26 p.m. Oct. 2, PDT (11:26 p.m. EDT). NASA will host a media teleconference at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, Oct. 4, to provide a status update on the Curiosity rover’s mission to Mars’ Gale Crater.
Audio and visuals of the event will be streamed live online at: http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudioandhttp://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover checked in on Mars Wednesday using the mobile application Foursquare. This marks the first check-in on another planet. Users on Foursquare can keep up with Curiosity as the rover checks in at key locations and posts photos and tips, all while exploring the Red Planet.
“NASA is using Foursquare as a tool to share the rover’s new locations while exploring Mars,” said David Weaver, associate administrator for communications at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “This will help to involve the public with the mission and give them a sense of the rover’s travels through Gale Crater.”
After landing in Gale Crater last month, Curiosity began a planned 23-month mission that includes some of Mars’ most intriguing scientific destinations. Curiosity is roving toward Mount Sharp, a mountain about 3 miles (5 kilometers) tall. The rover is conducting experiments along the way, seeking clues in the rocks and soil that would indicate whether Mars ever was capable of supporting microbial life. It is taking and sharing pictures of the trip.
Back here on Earth, Foursquare users will be able to earn a Curiosity-themed badge on the social media platform for check-ins at locations that generate an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Available late this year, this new badge will encourage Foursquare users to explore science centers, laboratories and museums that pique scientific curiosity.
NASA has been on Foursquare since 2010 through a strategic partnership with the platform. This partnership, launched with astronaut Doug Wheelock’s first-ever check-in from the International Space Station, has allowed users to connect with NASA and enabled them to explore the universe and re-discover Earth.
The partnership launched the NASA Explorer badge for Foursquare users, encouraging them to explore NASA-related locations across the country. It also included the launch of a NASA Foursquare page, where the agency provides official tips and information about the nation’s space program.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Mars Science Laboratory mission and its Curiosity rover for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The rover was designed, developed and assembled at JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
To find out more about Mars Curiosity and NASA on Foursquare, visit:http://www.foursquare.com/MarsCuriosity andhttp://www.foursquare.com/NASA
For information about NASA’s partnership with Foursquare, visit:http://www.nasa.gov/connect/foursquare.html
For more information about NASA’s Curiosity mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl andhttp://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl .
Contacts and sources:
Courtney O’Connor
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
