NASA's Mars Perseverance & Curiosity Rovers—New July 2022 Images | JPL

NASA's Mars Perseverance & Curiosity Rovers—New July 2022 Images | JPL

MSL - Sol 3522 - Mastcam

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Sunrise on Kukenán Hill - MSL - sol 3522

Kukenán Hill is the stratified hill on the left, its slopes still in shadow. This hill is 125 m high and 1.3 km far from Curiosity rover.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Thomas Appéré

   Mars2020 - Sol 489 - Mastcam-Z

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Kevin M. Gill 

Mars2020-sol 489-Mastcam Z-Left

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Del-4Ri

MSL-MastCam-sol3523-right MastCam

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/PipploIMP

    MSL-ChemCam-sol3523-MastCam-Image B

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/PipploIMP

MSL-ChemCam-sol3523-MastCam-Image A

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/PipploIMP

July 8, 2022 Update for Curiosity Rover: Sols 3528-3529: Everyone Gets to Savor the Avanavero Flavors!

Both the CheMin and SAM instruments have dined on the Avanavero drill samples and have decided their appetites are sated. CheMin has completed X-ray diffraction mineralogical analysis of the Avanavero drill sample, and SAM their Evolved Gas Analysis. Both instrument teams are satisfied with their analyses and SAM are not opting to do a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry run. Now it is the turn of MAHLI, APXS and ChemCam to investigate the flavour of the drill fines around the Avanavero drill hole for texture and chemistry, finishing up observations at this site before we drive away next week. The composition of the drill fines determined by APXS and ChemCam will help the CheMin and SAM teams refine interpretations of their data. The science team are all eagerly awaiting their results as we drive through this interesting transition from clay-bearing to sulfate-bearing strata.

Source: Lucy Thompson, Planetary Geologist at University of New Brunswick

Perseverance Rover July 7, 2022 Update: Searching for Sand Transport

"Perseverance is currently stopped for sampling at Skinner Ridge rock. Sampling activities constitute an important aspect of Perseverance’s mission, and the rover’s strategic path is developed around sampling stops. During these stops, the rover must remain stationary for at least twelve sols in order to conduct proximity science and activities related to abrasion and coring. But being parked in one location for this extended period of time is also useful for something else. "

"Sampling stops provide rare opportunities to conduct “change detection” experiments, which are used to monitor wind-driven — or aeolian — transport of sand. The basic concept behind change detection is simple: compare identical images of the surface acquired at different times to search for wind-induced movement of sand. These observations can be used to deduce information about the relative strength and direction of winds blowing in the time between the two images. Sand deposits and aeolian bedforms (such as the sand ripples seen in the accompanying Mastcam-Z image) are ideal targets for change detection."

Source: Mariah Baker, Planetary Scientist at Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Mission Name: Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)

Rover Name: Curiosity

Main Job: To determine if Mars was ever habitable to microbial life. 

Launch: Nov. 6, 2011

Landing Date: Aug. 5, 2012, Gale Crater, Mars

Mission Name: Mars 2020

Rover Name: Perseverance

Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.

Launch: July 30, 2020    

Landing: Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars

For more information on NASA's Mars missions, visit mars.nasa.gov

Image Release Dates: July 4-8, 2022

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