NASA’s Curiosity rover has recently sent a picture, in which a door-like – structure is seen in the middle of the rocky mountains on the surface of Mars. Exploration of planet Mars has been one of the primary focuses of Scientists in the 21 century.
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its Mastcam, to capture this mound of rock Nicknamed “East Cliffs” on May 7, 2022, the 3,466th Martian day, of the mission. The mound has many naturally-occurring open fractures.
They were probably deposited by what geologists call the “aeolian process “, which means “wind action”.Over time, they hardened rock. It probably wasn’t anything mysterious. It is a marsquake or other natural process. The blocks of rocks eventually moved apart and what was left behind looks like a door.
MARS CURIOSITY ROVER
The Mars Science Laboratory and its rover centerpiece, Curiosity is the most ambitious Mars mission flown by NASA. The rover landed on Mars in 2012 with a primary mission to find out whether Mars is suitable for life. Another one is to learn about the red planet.
THERE ARE 8 MISSIONS PRESENT ON THE MARS:-
- Perseverance Rover
- InSight Lander
- Exo Mars 2016 mission
- Maven
- Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
- Curiosity Rover
- Mars Express (ESA)
- 2001 Mars Odyssey
MARS PERSEVERANCE ROVER
MISSION TYPE:- Rover
LAUNCHED:- July 30, 2020
LANDED:- Feb 18, 2021
MISSION DURATION:- One Mars Year (687 earth days)
The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission is part of NASA’s Mars exploration program a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential life on Mars.
InSight Lander
MISSION TYPE:- Lander
LAUNCHED:- May 5, 2018
LAUNCH LOCATION:- California
LANDED:- Nov 26, 2018
LANDING SITE:- Elysium Planitia, Mars
InSight is a NASA’s Discovery Program mission that will place a single geophysical lander on Mars to study its deeper interior. But InSight is more than a Mars mission it is a terrestrial planet explorer that will address one of the most fundamental issues of the planetary and solar system.
EXO MARS 2016 MISSION
MISSION TYPE:- Orbiter/Lander Pair
LAUNCHED:- March 14, 2016
LAUNCH LOCATION:- Russia
MISSION STATUS:- Orbiter is still operating
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Exo Mars Program (Exobiology on Mars) is a series of missions designed to understand if life ever existed on Mars. Just as other countries often participate in NASA mars missions.
MAVEN
MISSION TYPE:- Orbiter
LAUNCHED:- Nov 18,2013
LAUNCH LOCATION:- Florida
ORBIT INSERTION:- Sep 14, 2014
MISSION STATUS:- Still Operating
MAVEN is the second mission selected for NASA’s Mars Scout program, an initiative for a smaller, low-cost, competed mission led by a principal investigator.
MARS RECONNAISSANCE ORBITER
MISSION TYPE:- Orbiter
LAUNCHED:- Aug 12, 2005
LAUNCH LOCATION:- Florida
ORBIT INSERTION:- Mar 10, 2006
MISSION STATUS:- Still Operating
NASA’S Mars Reconnaissance orbiter carries the most powerful camera ever flown in a planetary exploration mission for homing in on details of Martian terrain with extraordinary clarity.
CURIOSITY ROVER
MISSION TYPE:- Rover
LAUNCHED :- Nov 26,2011
LAUNCH LOCATION:- Florida
LANDING:- Aug 6, 2012
LANDING SITE:- Gale Crater, Mars
MISSION STATUS:- Still Operating
The Mars Science Laboratory and its rover centerpiece, Curiosity is the most ambitious Mars mission flown by NASA. The rover landed on Mars in 2012 with a primary mission to find out whether Mars is suitable for life. Another one is to learn about the red planet.
MARS EXPRESS (ESA)
MISSION TYPE:- Orbiter
LAUNCHED:- June 2, 2003
LAUNCH LOCATION:- Russia
ORBIT INSERTION:- Dec 25, 2003
MISSION STATUS:- Still Operating
NASA is participating in a mission of the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency called Mars Express, which has been exploring the atmosphere and surface of Mars from polar orbit since arriving on the red planet in 2003.
2001 MARS ODYSSEY
MISSION TYPE:- Orbiter
LAUNCHED:- April 7, 2001
LAUNCH LOCATION:- Florida
ORBIT INSERTION:- Oct 24,2001
MISSION STATUS:- Still Operating
The 2001 Mars Odyssey mission is NASA’s longest-lasting spacecraft on mars. Its mission includes making the first global map of the amount and distribution of many chemical elements and minerals that make up the Martian surface. The Odyssey successfully completed its science mission from February 2002 through August 2004.
THE RAW IMAGE OF THE WEEK
