NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has just completed its seventh full Martian year on the surface, a milestone that marks a significant achievement for the mission. The rover, which landed on Gale Crater in 2012, has been operating continuously since then, collecting an extensive dataset of geological and atmospheric information.
Over the past seven years, Curiosity has put together the longest and most comprehensive record of the modern Martian climate. It has recorded weather conditions at least once an hour almost every hour since its landing, as well as measured surface radiation conditions for more than a full solar cycle. The rover has also captured over 3,000 cloud movies and countless more observations of atmospheric opacity, dust lifting, and dust-devil activity.
Despite the mission's impressive achievements, Curiosity is still in its fifth Extended Mission phase, with no intention of slowing down anytime soon. As part of this new phase, the team will be setting up for their first two planned drills in the boxwork region, targeting a hollow nicknamed "Monte Grande" and a raised ridge that gives the boxwork region its distinctive spiderweb-like appearance.
The upcoming drill campaigns aim to gain a better understanding of the processes that led to the formation of these fascinating features on Mars. The team will also be using various science instruments, including APXS, ChemCam, and SAM's Tunable Laser Spectrometer instrument, to characterize the local geology and environment.
As Curiosity continues its journey on the Martian surface, it remains an iconic symbol of human exploration and scientific inquiry. With its remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to discovery, this mission is sure to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers.
Over the past seven years, Curiosity has put together the longest and most comprehensive record of the modern Martian climate. It has recorded weather conditions at least once an hour almost every hour since its landing, as well as measured surface radiation conditions for more than a full solar cycle. The rover has also captured over 3,000 cloud movies and countless more observations of atmospheric opacity, dust lifting, and dust-devil activity.
Despite the mission's impressive achievements, Curiosity is still in its fifth Extended Mission phase, with no intention of slowing down anytime soon. As part of this new phase, the team will be setting up for their first two planned drills in the boxwork region, targeting a hollow nicknamed "Monte Grande" and a raised ridge that gives the boxwork region its distinctive spiderweb-like appearance.
The upcoming drill campaigns aim to gain a better understanding of the processes that led to the formation of these fascinating features on Mars. The team will also be using various science instruments, including APXS, ChemCam, and SAM's Tunable Laser Spectrometer instrument, to characterize the local geology and environment.
As Curiosity continues its journey on the Martian surface, it remains an iconic symbol of human exploration and scientific inquiry. With its remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to discovery, this mission is sure to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers.
Can't believe how much we've learned about Mars already! I mean, 7 years of continuous data is insane 
. And the fact that Curiosity is still going strong in its Extended Mission phase is a testament to the team's dedication 
. Those planned drill campaigns are super exciting – it'll be amazing to see what they uncover about the boxwork region and Monte Grande 
. It's moments like these that remind me why I'm so passionate about space exploration 
. And you know, it's not just about the science – it's also about inspiring future gen's of scientists and engineers who are gonna make a difference on our planet Earth 
. Keep pushing those boundaries, NASA! 
And now they're planning to drill into those rock formations? that's gonna be so cool! 
Like, we get to learn more about the Martian geology and how it formed. It's such an exciting time for space exploration and I'm hyped to see what other discoveries Curiosity makes in the future 
I'm so stoked about this milestone for Curiosity! 7 whole years on Mars is insane, it's like, whoa 
– gotta be some crazy cool footage! And with those instruments, they'll finally get to figure out what's up with Monte Grande and that spiderweb ridge 
. Can't wait to see what the future holds for this mission 
Wow, 7 years on Mars already! 
That's like living a whole human lifetime 
, and those cloud movies are amazing 
. I wish we had more rovers like that to explore our own planet Earth 
. The upcoming drill campaigns are going to be so interesting 
, and I love that they're using different instruments to study the geology and environment 
.
), we can achieve incredible things in space exploration 
I mean, seven full years on Mars is a huge deal - it's like me trying to fix my leaky faucet for that long without giving up 
!! it's like whoa the team must be super stoked rn!!! i'm loving how they're still pushing boundaries & exploring new areas, those drill campaigns sound SO intense 
and with all that data collected, we're finally getting a better understanding of martian climate patterns 
. it's amazing to see the progress being made & i'm def hyped for what's next! 
They're basically learning so much more than anyone expected, and that's awesome. And can we talk about how cool "cloud movies" are? I mean who needs Hollywood when you have Curiosity filming its own Martian weather patterns? 
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. And let's be real, it's not just about science – it's also about the awesomeness factor 
. Who wouldn't want to explore Mars with Curiosity as their trusty sidekick? 
. The fact that they're keeping at it even after all these years is just so inspiring 
. I mean, come on, it's just a machine doing its job on Mars! It's not like it's a human explorer or something. And yeah, it's been collecting data non-stop for years, but what's the big deal? It's helping us learn more about the Martian climate and all that jazz... 
I'm low-key hyped for the upcoming drill campaigns tho - who knows what secrets it'll uncover about those boxwork regions on Mars? 
the boxwork region sounds like somethin outta a sci-fi movie lol "monte grande" and all that 
gonna be amazin to see what new discoveries come out of these next drills 
And now they're talking about drilling into that boxwork region... I'm hyped to see what new discoveries come out of this! 