vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
NASA’s Curiosity Searches for New Clues About Mars’ Ancient Water - NASA
These cycles can be seen in evidence of mud cracks; shallow, salty lakes; and, directly below the channel, cataclysmic debris flows that piled up to create the sprawling Gediz Vallis ridge.
Last year, Curiosity made a challenging ascent to study the ridge, which drapes across the slopes of Mount Sharp and seems to grow out of the end of the channel, suggesting both are part of one geologic system.
Viewing the Channel Up Close
Curiosity documented the channel with a 360-degree black-and-white panorama from the rover’s left navigation camera. Taken on Feb. 3 (the 4,086th Martian day, or sol, of the mission), the image shows the dark sand that fills one side of the channel and a debris pile rising just behind the sand. In the opposite direction is the steep slope that Curiosity climbed to reach this area.
The rover takes these kinds of panoramas with its navigation cameras at the end of each drive. Now the science team is relying on the navcams even more while engineers try to resolve an issue that is limiting the use of one imager belonging to the color Mast Camera, or Mastcam.
More About the Mission
Curiosity was built by JPL, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more about Curiosity, visit:
https://mars.nasa.gov/msl
News Media Contacts
Andrew GoodJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-2433andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
Karen Fox / Alana JohnsonNASA Headquarters, Washington301-286-6284 / 202-358-1501karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov
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Mar 29, 2024

Related TermsMars Science Laboratory (MSL)Curiosity (Rover)MarsMars Exploration Program

 

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The Big Questions - NASA Science
Exoplanets are made up of elements similar to that of the planets in our solar system, but their mixes of those elements may differ. Some planets may be dominated by water or ice, while others are dominated by iron or carbon. Are there any exoplanets like Earth?Not yet. We haven’t found a planet that can support life like Earth. So far, our home is unique in the universe. We have found many Earth-sized rocky exoplanets, some of which are in the habitable zones of their stars. The next step in studying them is to analyze their atmospheres for “biosignature" molecules, which may be a sign of life.Are other solar systems like ours?Other solar systems, called planetary systems, come in many shapes and sizes. When scientists first started searching for planetary systems, they expected them to look like our solar system, with inner rocky planets and outer cold gas giants and ice planets. But some solar systems pack many planets into very compact orbits with short orbital periods, while others have only a few planets with orbits that last hundreds of years. Some planetary systems have Jupiter-like giants that orbit their star in a few hours, and are hot enough to melt metal. Some exoplanets even orbit multiple stars. So far astronomers have detected relatively few planetary systems with architectures like our solar system.Do exoplanets have stars like our Sun?Yes, some do. Kepler-452b is an example of a planet that orbits a star like our sun. Both our sun and Kepler-452 are G dwarf stars, which make up only 3 percent of the stars in the universe. More common are M dwarf stars– small red stars that make up 75 percent of all the stars we know.Other stars in our universe range from massive and hot O-type stars to the small and cool M dwarf stars like TRAPPIST-1 and Proxima Centauri. Scientists have found planets around five star types that range from red, to orange, to bluish-white. Some planets even orbit two or three stars at a time.(Note: “Dwarf” is actually the name for a regular-sized adult star, distinguishing them from giant stars.
The Big Questions - NASA Science
Even SOFIA, NASA's infrared observatory built into a Boeing 747-SP airplane, conducted some exoplanet observations.Do any exoplanets have rings?Rings orbit all of the gas giant planets in our solar system. They range from being very dusty (Jupiter), to very icy (Saturn), to very carbon-rich (Uranus and Neptune). This hints that rings may be common around cold gas giant exoplanets orbiting other stars too. A very large ring system has been detected around one candidate exoplanet, J1407 b; however the rings cover tens of millions of miles. It may be a disk of material forming exomoons rather than ring system similar to Saturn's.Do exoplanets have water on them?Scientists have found water molecules in the atmospheres of several exoplanets, but some of those planets are very hot and probably not suitable for life as we know it. Scientists have yet to discover liquid water, like oceans or lakes. They are looking for exoplanets with liquid water in an area called the “habitable zone” around stars.What is the habitable zone or “Goldilocks zone”?The habitable zone is the area around a star where it is not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on the surface of surrounding planets.detailed answerWhat are exoplanets made of?The exoplanets for which astronomers are able to measure both their sizes (diameters) and masses, have densities that are suggestive of compositions ranging from very rocky (like Earth and Venus) to very gas-rich (like Jupiter and Saturn). Exoplanets are made up of elements similar to that of the planets in our solar system, but their mixes of those elements may differ. Some planets may be dominated by water or ice, while others are dominated by iron or carbon. Are there any exoplanets like Earth?Not yet. We haven’t found a planet that can support life like Earth. So far, our home is unique in the universe. We have found many Earth-sized rocky exoplanets, some of which are in the habitable zones of their stars.
Cassini-Huygens - NASA Science
Living in SpaceManufacturing and MaterialsRoboticsScience InstrumentsComputingThe Universe ExoplanetsThe Search for Life in the UniverseStarsGalaxiesBlack HolesThe Big BangDark Matter &amp; Dark EnergyThe Solar System The SunMercuryVenusEarthThe MoonMarsJupiterSaturnUranusNeptunePluto &amp; Dwarf PlanetsAsteroids, Comets &amp; MeteorsThe Kuiper BeltThe Oort CloudSkywatchingEspañol CienciaAeronáuticaCiencias TerrestresSistema SolarUniversoScience All NASA ScienceEarth SciencePlanetary ScienceAstrophysics & Space ScienceThe Sun & HeliophysicsBiological & Physical SciencesLunar ScienceCitizen ScienceAstromaterialsAeronautics ResearchHuman Space Travel ResearchExploreSearchSubmitNews & EventsMultimediaNASA+Cassini HomeOverviewWhy Cassini MatteredTimelineQuick FactsMissionAbout the MissionThe Grand FinaleThe TeamTop 10s Saturn TourFAQScienceOverviewRingsTitanEnceladusMoonsMagnetosphereMultimediaAll MultimediaAudioFeatured Raw ImagesGraphicsHall of FameImagesVideosExplore This SectionCassini HomeOverviewMissionScienceMultimediaCassini-HuygensFor more than a decade, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shared the wonders of Saturn and its family of icy moons. It took us to astounding worlds where methane rivers run to a methane sea and where jets of ice and gas are blasting material into space from a liquid water ocean that might harbor the ingredients for life.Occurred 7 years agoTypeOrbiter, ProbeLaunchOct.
Eyes - NASA Science
Start ExploringEyes on the EarthFly along with NASA's Earth science missions in real-time, monitor Earth's vital signs like Carbon Dioxide, Ozone and Sea Level, and see satellite imagery of the latest major weather events, all in an immersive, 3D environment.Start ExploringEyes on ExoplanetsExplore over 5,500 exoplanet systems in this 3D interactive simulation.  You can visit every exoplanet ever discovered and ride along with the spacecraft that found them. Start ExploringMars Relay NetworkSee the current, past, and future communication between Mars orbiters, Mars landers and rovers, using real data from the Mars missions themselves.  Land on the surface of Mars with the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers to see the orbiters fly overhead, or see the communication "wedges" visually from orbit.Start ExploringMars 2020 Entry Descent LandingExperience the famous “Seven Minutes of Terror” for yourself in this step-by-step interactive 3D story simulation of the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) of the Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. Starting from orbit, follow the spacecraft as it enters the Martian atmosphere, watch the parachute deploy, and see the sky crane lower the rover gently to the ground.Start ExploringExperience CuriosityThis web interactive re-creates specific days of the Curiosity rover’s mission, including drilling on Sol 908, and the creation of the famous “selfie” from Sol 868. You can also click and drag on the robotic arm, antenna, and mast to make them move, or learn about each instrument on the rover.Start ExploringExperience InSightThis web interactive simulates the deployment and science operations of the Mars Insight mission.  Bring the mission to life by controlling its robotic arm and learn about the many instruments on board.Start ExploringDSN NowSee which spacecraft is “phoning home” with DSN Now. Every five seconds, DSN Now updates with real-time data from the ground stations of the Deep Space Network. Click on a dish to learn more about the live connection between the spacecraft and the ground.Start ExploringEarth NowNASA's Earth Now mobile app shows the latest data from the agency's Earth-observing satellite fleet on your phone or tablet.
Mission to Mars Student Challenge - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Encourage cooperative learning and exchanging of ideas. NASA engineers work together on projects, sharing ideas and striving for team success.
 

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 Before they can launch to Mars, students need to design their spacecraft based on what they want it to do on the Red Planet. Billy Allen, a mechatronics engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, talks about his job on the Perseverance Mars rover mission and some of the important factors to consider when designing a spacecraft. Watch en Español: Seleccione subtítulos en Español bajo el ícono de configuración.

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Use geometric shapes called tangrams to build a rover and other space-themed designs!

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Students design, build and use a model robotic arm to move items from one location to another.

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Where's the driver's seat for a Mars rover? Millions of miles away, back on Earth!

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In this lesson, students build a paper helicopter, then improve the design and compare and measure performance.

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Build a paper helicopter, then see if you can improve the design like NASA engineers did when making the first helicopter for Mars.

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Educator Guide: Spacecraft Materials and the Chemistry of Space Exploration | NASA/JPL Edu
Educator Guide: Spacecraft Materials and the Chemistry of Space Exploration | NASA/JPL Edu

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	 Hear Here: A 'Pi in the Sky' Math Challenge
	

	 Measuring the Supermoon
	

 

Classroom Activity Spacecraft Materials and the Chemistry of Space Exploration

 

OverviewIn this lab activity, students will become materials scientists for a day. Working with NASA to design a satellite or a rover means understanding the properties of metals under conditions very unlike those on Earth. Which material should we use to construct a rover going to a planet like Venus? What if we were traveling to an icy planet or even underwater? The answer can be found in chemistry!MaterialsSmall test tubes and a test tube rack1-2 pieces of zinc pellets1-2 pieces of lead shot1-2 pieces of aluminum shot (aluminum foil discouraged)1 small strip of magnesium ribbonAny additional metals that are easily accessible (e.g., copper wire, an iron nail, etc.)30 mL of 0.2 M solution of copper (II) sulfateSafety goggles for each studentLatex or nitrile gloves for each student(Optional) student worksheet – Download PDF | Download Answer Key PDF(Optional) steel wool(Optional) thermometer(Optional, for extension) table salt (Optional, for extension) hydrogen peroxide(Optional, for extension) glass rodNote: Materials can be purchased from any school-lab vendor, or may already be in your classrooms or at home.
Vault Plate | Spacecraft – NASA's Europa Clipper
Engraved in the handwriting of astrophysicist and astrobiologist Frank Drake (1930–2022), the Drake Equation is a tribute to the visionary idea that the probability of finding life in the cosmos is something we can estimate. The Drake Equation is a mathematical formula for the possibility of finding advanced, communicating civilizations in the Milky Way. This equation has guided and inspired scientific research in various fields related to astrobiology, which is the study of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the universe.
"Water Hole" Radio Emission Lines
"Water Hole" Radio Emission Lines
In astronomy, the term "water hole" refers to a range of frequencies that are relatively quiet of background noise, and thus have been considered ideal by some researchers for interstellar communication. These frequencies fall between the hydrogen emission line at 1420 megahertz and the hydroxyl line at 1660-1666 megahertz. These lines on Europa Clipper’s vault plate represent a connection between water and the search for life beyond Earth. They are also a scientific and mathematical way of expressing the word "water" — the chemical symbols for hydrogen and hydroxyl, H and OH, represent the products when water molecules (H2O) are split apart. Like the Drake Equation, the lines represent our ability to use the language of science to follow our curiosity. As with Europa exploration, it’s the promise of water that has drawn inquisitive human minds to reach out and listen in this radio band for messages from the stars.

The reverse side of Europa Clipper’s vault plate, featuring a handwritten poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, the Drake Equation handwritten by astrophysicist Frank Drake, a drawing of the Jovian system, a tribute to planetary scientist Ron Greeley, and the radio emission lines known as the ‘Water Hole’. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech 

Tribute to Planetary Scientist Ron Greeley
Tribute to Planetary Scientist Ron Greeley
Ron Greeley (1939–2011) was a founder of the field of planetary science, helping to lay the groundwork for visits to the Moon by the Apollo astronauts.
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