Results from the Mars Science Laboratory

Transcription

1 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Results from the Mars Science Laboratory Ronald S. Sletten MSL Science Team 5/9/13

2 Curiosity s primary scientific goal is to explore and quantitatively assess a local region on Mars surface as a potential habitat for life, past or present Biological potential Geology and geochemistry Role of water Surface radiation NASA/JPL-Caltech Curiosity s Science Objectives

3 2000 to Present Odyssey NASA s Mars Exploration 2011 Program Launch Year & Beyond Mars Sample Return MRO TGO (ESA-NASA) MAVEN Mars Express (ESA) Recent missions have discovered that Mars surface reveals a diverse and dynamic history, including evidence for sustained interactions with liquid water. By studying a potentially habitable, ancient environment, MSL is a bridge to future missions that focus on life detection or returning samples. MER MER Phoenix Mars Science Lab NASA/ESA Rover The data/information contained herein has been reviewed and approved for release by JPL Export Administration on the basis that this document contains no export-controlled information.

4 Mars Landing Sites (Previous Missions and MSL Final Candidates)

5 Sunset at Gale Crater

6 Rover Family Portrait Spirit and Opportunity 2003 Sojourner 1996 Curiosity 2011

7 ChemCam (Chemistry) Mastcam (Imaging) REMS (Weather) RAD (Radiation) APXS (Chemistry) MAHLI (Imaging) DAN (Subsurface Hydrogen) Drill Scoop Brush Sieves SAM (Chemistry and Isotopes) CheMin (Mineralogy) MARDI (Imaging) Curiosity s Science Payload

8 Descent Stage

9 First Spacecraft Integration

10 Assembled Spacecraft

11 Putting it Together for the Final Time

12 Aeroshell Fit Check

13 Atlas Launch Vehicle: Cape Canaveral November 26, 2011 Launch on Atlas V 541, Nov Cape Canaveral

14 MSL Entry, Descent, and Landing Cruise Stage Separation Max Heating and Deceleration Guided entry corrects for atmospheric variability and improves landing accuracy Sky Crane design places the rover directly on Martian soil while keeping the rockets away from the ground Guided Entry (horizontal flight) Sky Crane Parachute Descent Heatshield Separation Backshell Separation Powered Descent Touchdown

15 Mission Overview LAUNCH Launched on Nov. 26, 2011 Atlas V (541) CRUISE/APPROACH 8½-month cruise Arrives August 6, 2012 ENTRY, DESCENT, LANDING Guided entry and powered sky crane descent km landing ellipse Designed to access landing sites ±30 latitude, < 0 km 900-kg (1 ton) rover SURFACE MISSION Prime mission is one Mars year Latitude-independent and long-lived power source Ability to drive out of landing ellipse 75 kg (165 lbs.) of science payload Direct (uplink) and relayed (downlink) communication Fast CPU and large data storage

16 NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA Landing precision for Curiosity and previous Mars surface missions

17 Gale Crater: A Mountain of Sediments 20 km Sedimentary mound records evolution of Mars Environment 17

18 ? 150-km Gale Crater contains a 5-km high mound of stratified rock. Strata in the lower section of the mound vary in mineralogy and texture, suggesting that they may have recorded environmental changes over time. Curiosity will investigate this record for clues about habitability, and the ability of Mars to preserve evidence about habitability or life. Target: Gale Crater and Mount Sharp NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech

19 Descent and First Observations at Bradbury Landing

20 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Heat shield separation captured by Curiosity s Mars Descent Imager

21 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Curiosity on parachute, imaged by HiRISE on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

22 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Kicking up dust just prior to landing

23 NASA/JPL-Caltech Touchdown confirmed. Let s see where Curiosity will take us.

24 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Mastcam mosaic of Mount Sharp, descent rocket scours, and rover shadow

25 NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP ChemCam spectra of Coronation Target: Coronation (N165) Sol 13 Shots: 30 NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

26 Analysis of Jake Matijevic

27 Nested, hand-lens imaging of the 25-cm (10 ) high rock Jake Matijevic NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

28 counts per second Jake Matijevic studied by Mastcam (image), APXS, and ChemCam Composition is similar to alkaline basalts on Earth produced by partial melting of the mantle Al Si sol34 Caltarget 90 min sol46 JakeMatijevic 30 min 10 Na Mg APXS Spectra 1 S Cl K Ca Ti Fe P Mn 0.1 Cr Zn Br Ni Energy [kev] NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/U. Guelph

29 Trek toward Glenelg and Discovery of Conglomerate

30 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Curiosity progressed toward Glenelg, where three distinct terrain types meet

31 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Curiosity and its tracks captured by HiRISE on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

32 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Map view of conglomerate outcrops (next slides)

33 Goulburn, scoured by Curiosity s descent rockets, first revealed bedrock NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

34 The conglomerate Link with associated loose, rounded pebbles NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

35 NASA/JPL-Caltech/UofA The conglomerate reveals an ancient streambed, likely originating at the northern crater rim

36 Alluvial fan

37 Rocknest Scooping Campaign

38 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Windblown sand shadow at the Rocknest site

39 Wheel scuff to confirm depth of sand, for safe scooping NASA/JPL-Caltech

40 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS MAHLI view of coarse (0.5 to 1.5 mm) sand from the ripple s surface, and fine (< 0.25 mm) sand on wall and floor of trench

41 SAM and CheMin analyses of Rocknest Gases released during SAM experiments Sand composed of unaltered basaltic minerals, similar to soils on Mars NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames Also evidence for water, sulfates, carbonates, and potentially perchlorates X-ray diffraction pattern from CheMin

42 Curiosity self-portrait at Rocknest Assembled from 55 MAHLI images Shows four scoop trenches and wheel scuff NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

43 Measurements of Mars Atmosphere and Environment

44 REMS ground and air temperature sensors are located on small booms on the rover s mast The ground temperature changes by 90 C (170 degrees Fahrenheit) between day and night NASA/JPL-Caltech/CAB(CSIC-INTA) The air is warmer than the ground at night, and cooler during the morning, before it is heated by the ground Curiosity s Rover Environmental Monitoring Station is taking weather readings 24 7

45 Each day the pressure varies by over 10%, similar to the change in pressure between Los Angeles and Denver Solar heating of the ground drives a pressure tidal wave that sweeps across the planet each day Overall, the pressure is increasing as carbon dioxide sublimates from the southern seasonal polar cap NASA/JPL-Caltech/CAB(CSIC-INTA)/FMI/Ashima Research Earth s atmosphere = 101,325 Pascals, or about 140 times the pressure at Gale Crater REMS pressure measurements detect local, regional, and global weather phenomena

46 RAD observed galactic cosmic rays and five solar energetic particle events traveling from Earth to Mars Mars atmosphere partially shields the surface from radiation. When the atmosphere is thicker (higher REMS pressure), RAD measures less radiation. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI Curiosity s Radiation Assessment Detector measures high-energy radiation

47 Particle Flux (protons/cm 2 /s/sr) Particle Flux (protons/cm 2 /s/sr) RAD observed galactic cosmic rays and five solar energetic particle events Day (March 2012) RAD was shielded by the spacecraft structure, reducing the observed particle flux relative to NASA s ACE satellite RAD is now collecting the first measurements of the radiation environment on the surface of another planet NASA/JPL- Caltech/SwRI Curiosity s Radiation Assessment Detector operated throughout the cruise to Mars

48 DAN sends ten million neutrons into the ground, ten times a second The echo back is recorded. If hydrogen is present in the ground, perhaps in aqueous minerals, some neutrons will collide and lose energy NASA/JPL-Caltech/Russian Space Research Institute DAN is used to survey the upper one meter of the ground below the rover as it drives along Curiosity s Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons experiment sounds the ground for hydrogen

49 Atmospheric Gas Abundances Measured by SAM SAM found that argon, rather than nitrogen is the second most abundant gas SAM also found that Mars atmosphere is enriched in the heavy versions of isotopes, indicating that atmospheric loss has occurred Methane has not been definitively detected NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard TLS uses infrared lasers and mirrors to measure the absorption of light by atmospheric gases The SAM Tunable Laser Spectrometer and Mass Spectrometer measure atmospheric composition

50 The Glenelg Region and Yellowknife Bay

51 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Curiosity is currently exploring Yellowknife Bay, a basin within the Glenelg region

52 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Shaler rocks just outside Yellowknife Bay show inclined, fine layers that indicate sediment transport

53 Heading into Yellowknife Bay NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

54 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Postcards from Yellowknife Bay showing a diversity of rock types, fractures, and veins NASA/JPL-Caltech

55 ChemCam Remote Micro-Imager NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/ LPGNantes/CNRS/LGLyon/Planet-Terre ChemCam spectra from sol 125 Crest and 135 Rapitan Sheepbed rocks contain 1 to 5-mm fractures filled with calcium sulfate minerals that precipitated from fluids at low to moderate temperatures

56 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Sheepbed rocks also contain many spherules suggesting that water percolated though pores

57 Drill Campaign at John Klein, Yellowknife Bay

58 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS John Klein drill site showing fractured bedrock and ridge-forming veins

59 Targets studied to prepare for drilling NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

60 NASA/JPL-Caltech/ U. Guelph APXS sees higher sulfur and calcium in vein-rich rock Removing the dust results in slightly lower sulfur NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS APXS and the dust-removing brush

61 Arm deployed at John Klein NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Bouic

62 NASA/JPL- Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/LPGNante s/cnrs NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Curiosity s 1.6-cm drill bit, drill and test holes, and scoop full of acquired sample

63 NASA/JPL-Caltech/ U. Guelph NASA/JPL- Caltech/LANL/IRAP/CNES/LPGNantes/IAS/ CNRS/MSSS Wernecke Sol 169 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Honeybee Robotics/LANL/CNES ChemCam laser shots of brushed rock and drill tailings pile

64 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Ames The drill powder contains abundant phyllosilicates (clay minerals), indicating sustained interaction with water X-ray diffraction patterns from Rocknest (left) and John Klein (right)

65 NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC SAM analysis of the drilled rock sample reveals water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, sulfur dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide released on heating. The release of water at high temperature is consistent with smectite clay minerals. Major gases released from John Klein sample and analyzed by SAM

66 An Ancient Habitable Environment at Yellowknife Bay The regional geology and fine-grained rock suggest that the John Klein site was at the end of an ancient river system or within an intermittently wet lake bed The mineralogy indicates sustained interaction with liquid water that was not too acidic or alkaline, and low salinity. Further, conditions were not strongly oxidizing Key chemical ingredients for life are present, such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur The presence of minerals in various states of oxidation would provide a source of energy for primitive biology NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

67 Mount Sharp, The Ultimate Destination

68 NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona Curiosity s ultimate goal is to explore the lower reaches of the 5-km high Mount Sharp

69 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

70 NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

71 This boulder is the size of Curiosity NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Layers, Canyons, and Buttes of Mount Sharp

72 Learn More about Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory MSL for Scientists Mars Exploration Program