Astrogeology Science Center

Mars Curiosity Rover Sols 2422-2423 - What's Happening!

An exciting new animation shows a proposed route for NASA's Curiosity Rover, which is climbing Mount Sharp on Mars. The annotated version of the map labels different regions that scientists working with the rover would like to explore in coming years.  Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/University of Arizona/JHUAPL/MSSS/USGS Astrogeology Science Center

Five scientists from the USGS Astrogeology Science Center (ASC) attended the second annual Women in Space Conference (WiSC), on February 7 & 8, in Scottsdale, Arizona.  The conference is a much anticipated time when women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) conjoin to share their achievements, experience challenging and powerful lessons, have fantastic discussions...

The sol 2408 plan ended with the rover using its front wheel to dig a small trench in a ripple at the ripple field named "Rigg." That means today’s plan is focused on studying what that scuff uncovered. There is a lot that we can learn from these patches of active sand that we occasionally encounter as we explore Gale crater!

R. Greg Vaughan, a research scientist at the Astrogeology Science Center, has found a new thermal area in Yellowstone National Park! 

Lunar Legacy Celebration: Great information upcoming on CBS!

Did you know every Astronaut that walked on the Moon trained in Flagstaff?

Lunar Legacy Celebration

One night after dinner the topic of conversation drifted to my work with the USGS Astrogeology Science Center here in Flagstaff as an IT Specialist. My friends were visiting from out of town and had seen Internet articles about the Flagstaff Lunar Legacy Celebration of the 50th...

Written by Kristen Bennett on 05.03.2019.

Today's main activities use the "laboratory" instruments SAM and CheMin inside of Curiosity to analyze some of the powder from the Kilmarie drill hole. SAM will do an Evolved Gas Analysis, which involves heating the sample and measuring the gases that are generated, and CheMin will do its usual analysis, shining x-rays through the sample to determine what minerals are present. 

Local MER Team members has had to cope with the death of Mars Rover, Opportunity, due to a huge dust storm. NASA declared the mission and Opportunity done on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, at JPL. Arizona Daily Sun sheds light on how the team is faring. Get the details...

The drilling planned for last weekend was successful, so the top priority for Sol 2386 is to drop portions of the Kilmarie sample onto a closed SAM inlet cover and take Mastcam images after each dropoff to characterize the size of each portion.  The results of this...