mars rovers
-
These Hoverboards Might Actually Work…but Only On the Moon
Attempts at recreating the hoverboards seen in Back to the Future II have so far been either disappointing self-balancing, two-wheeled vehicles that frequently catch fire, or jet-powered floating platforms that require a highly skilled pilot. But as MIT engineers have recently proposed, creating a levitating vehicle might not be so difficult if we all just…
-
Perseverance Rover Images Reveal Ancient History of a Water-Soaked Martian Crater
Before Perseverance touched down in Mars’s Jezero Crater in February 2021, scientists’ understanding of crater was shaped by observations from spacecraft, like the Mars Express satellite and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. But now, with an operational robot getting its wheels dirty on the ground, an interdisciplinary team of geologists and planetary scientists have been able to…
-
Perseverance Cored Two Martian Rocks That May Be Volcanic and Shaped by Water
In a press conference on Friday, NASA revealed more about the Perseverance rover’s first successful collection of Martian rock, which was confirmed Monday. The successful sampling is the fundamental first step in a 10-year-plan to bring Martian rock to Earth for close examination.
-
NASA Details Next Steps After Mars Rover’s Attempt to Collect Rock Goes Awry
Scientists at NASA were pretty excited in early August when the Perseverance rover indicated that it had drilled its first sample of Martian rock. But as it turned out, the sample tube was empty, and the Perseverance team began a remote investigation to solve the mystery of the disappearing rock.