US space agency NASA says its Curiosity vehicle has reached its next exploration target on Mars.
The explorer, or rover, has reached an area NASA scientists call Mount Sharp. The area is in the Gale of the planet Craterwhich Curiosity has been exploring since landing on Mars in 2012. Mount Sharp contains a mixture of rocky material and many large hills.
In the past, researchers have found evidence that billions of years ago Mount Sharp contained many water systems. At some point, scientists believe the Martian climate became more extreme and caused water systems to dry up.
NASA says minerals that still exist around Mount Sharp could provide further evidence of severe climate change.
Today, Mars is an extremely cold desert that cannot support any running water system. The mineral experiments could help researchers learn more about the types of life that may have existed on Mars when it had more Earth-like conditions.
NASA currently operates two rovers on Mars. The other vehicle, Perseverance, landed in February 2021. It is exploring the areas around the planet’s Jezero crater. The space agency estimated the Perseverance landing site to be around 3,700 kilometers from where Curiosity landed. NASA also operates the InSight lander on Mars.
NASA said in a statement that the minerals around Mount Sharp were first discovered by the agency’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, years before Curiosity landed. Scientists have long been waiting for a closer look.
Shortly after arriving in the region, Curiosity’s instruments discovered a wide range of different rock types and sizes. Among the finds were several different saline materials that suggest past signs of water in the area, according to NASA.
To examine the rocks, Curiosity uses a drill at the end of its robotic arm to dig into the Martian surface. The rover has already drilled many holes on Mars. The last drilling took place on October 3.
The Curiosity team chose a rock named “Canaima” for the operation. The rover recently encountered problems with a braking system that allows the robotic arm to stay in place most of the time. NASA said this could cause difficulties when drilling. But he reported that Curiosity’s 36th drill hole was a success.
The team of scientists are now eager to examine the latest collection of Martian dust.
The space agency noted that Curiosity’s path to Mount Sharp included areas containing “perfidious,” or at risk. In August, the rover safely traversed a sandy area between high hills. Sand presents a major risk to Curiosity due to the risk of getting stuck.
Sharp stones can also damage the wheels of the rover. Ground rover drivers “should carefully navigate these areas,” NASA said. The agency noted that it took Curiosity more than a month to reach its target area.
After reaching their goal, however, the team was treated to some of the best images the rover had ever taken. Curiosity’s so-called Mastcam was able to capture extremely wide or panoramic views of the Martian environment.
“We were getting new footage every morning and we were just in admirationsaid Elena Amador-French. She oversees the work of Curiosity’s science and engineering teams at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. “The sand ridges were beautiful,” she added. “You see perfect little rover tracks on it. And the cliffs were beautiful – we got really close to the walls.
Last month, NASA celebrated Curiosity’s 10th anniversary in service. During that time, he said the rover traveled nearly 29 kilometers and climbed about 625 meters while exploring Gale Crater.
I am Brian Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA.
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words in this story
crater – nm a large hole in the ground created by the force of an object
drill – v. making a hole in a hard substance using a special grip called a drill
brake – nm part of a machine that stops or slows the motion of something
perfidious – adj. very dangerous
navigate – v. find the right direction to travel using maps and other equipment
admiration – nm a feeling of great respect for someone or something
Crete – nm a long, narrow piece of upland
cliff – nm an area of high and steep rocks
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