Curiosity Pulls into Kimberly and Spies Curvy Terrain For Drilling Action

Curiosity arrived in Kimberly on Thursday and is looking for rocks to drill and "search for that subset of habitable environments which also preserves organic carbon."

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL – NASA’s Curiosity rover has just pulled into gorgeous terrain chock full of curvy rock outcrops at Kimberly that’s suitable for contact science and drilling action, according to the mission team. The six wheeled Martian dune buggy drove into the dazzling Kimberly waypoint this week after traversing a swath of otherworldly dune fields since passing through a gateway known as the ‘Dingo Gap’ sand dune some six weeks ago. The science team has been hunting for tasty rock outcrops suitable for the first drilling campaign since she departed the dried out lakebed at Yellowknife Bay in July 2013 and began her epic trek towards the base of Mount Sharp.

“The images [at Kimberly] show nice outcrops in front of the rover, suitable for contact science,” according to science team member Ken Herkenhoff in a mission update.

A couple of the images

Martian landscape with rows of curved rock outcrops in the foreground and spectacular Mount Sharp on the horizon. NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover pulled into Kimberly waypoint dominated by layered rock outcrops as likely drilling site. This colorized navcam camera photomosaic was assembled from imagery taken on Sol 576 (Mar. 20, 2014).

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover will likely drill into this layered rock outcrop, near the center of the mosaic, at the Kimberly waypoint.

full article...

(Image credits: Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Marco Di Lorenzo/Ken Kremer-kenkremer.com)

Jenny you naughty, naughty girl! ROFLMAO

ETA: s&f for the suggestive title.

Dear, oh dear!! What will Arken's reaction to this thread be?

Cheers!!

reply to post by Snarl


The second picture does kind of resemble a turtle

reply to post by Kukri


Haha!!

It's the title of the source article, so hilarious!

I hope he drills her good.

I want to see the video of the action also.

Curiosity arrived in Kimberly on Thursday and is looking for rocks to drill and "search for that subset of habitable environments which also preserves organic carbon."

Sounds like they are mining for minerals and metals to me.

The lack of atmosphere, and the protective envelope of a magnetic field (to shield from the suns lethal radiation), pretty much precludes life…

…whats left?

Finding the best place to set up mining operations?

Think of it. Once the wealthiest few people down here have all the gold on this planet in their cellar they will look elsewhere for more of it. And they will be able to afford the cost of mining for more on Mars or somewhere else.

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


Lol I never made it that far my eyes were watering too much. Those guys at the command center need to get out more.

reply to post by intrptr


Excellent point and a very scary thought.

Snarl
Dear, oh dear!! What will Arken's reaction to this thread be?

Cheers!!

Next NASA annunce: We have found something unusual by these experiments, but we need to send another billionaire rover on Mars to prove these results...
I Bet....

Arken

Snarl
Dear, oh dear!! What will Arken's reaction to this thread be?

Cheers!!

Next NASA annunce: We have found something unusual by these experiments, but we need to send another billionaire rover on Mars to prove these results...
I Bet....

edit on 23-3-2014 by Arken because: (no reason given)

I'm all in ... as long as they name one of the next waypoints after you!!

Kimberly definitely looks suitable for "contact science."
Where's Capt. Kirk when you need him?

intrptr

Think of it. Once the wealthiest few people down here have all the gold on this planet in their cellar they will look elsewhere for more of it. And they will be able to afford the cost of mining for more on Mars or somewhere else.

I very much doubt that would be cost effective!!!

reply to post by wmd_2008

I very much doubt that would be cost effective!!!

Well, they aren't reasonable anyway. Their mantra is "Gold!!!"

Greed knows no bounds.

reply to post by Jennyfrenzy


Thank you and thanks for bringing the pics of that alien planet. I always marvel at those.

So far and yet I can see it from here.