Clearing Skies for our Rovers on Mars on This Week @NASA – September 7, 2018

TL;DR

NASA provides updates on dust settling on Mars, Curiosity rover's new panoramic image, progress in Moon to Mars effort, and discussion on Dawn spacecraft's mission.

Transcript

An update on our Mars rovers … Continued progress for our Moon to Mars effort … And a look back at Dawn – in its twilight … a few of the stories to tell you about – This Week at NASA! The dust continues to settle on Mars from the massive dust storm that has shrouded the Red Planet since at least late May and halted operations for our Opportunity ro... Read More

Key Insights

• 🇲🇭 Mars Opportunity rover is being closely monitored for recovery after a massive dust storm.
• 💝 Curiosity rover's panoramic image provides a glimpse of its latest exploration on Mars.
• 🫥 NASA's progress in its Moon to Mars effort is visible through the mobile launcher's tests.
• 👾 RS-25 engine flight controller unit's certification test ensures stability during future deep space missions.
• 💁 Dawn spacecraft's mission has been instrumental in studying early solar system formations.
• 🧑‍🚀 NASA has collaborated with Boeing and SpaceX to develop astronaut transportation capabilities.
• 🪽 Suni Williams and Chris Ferguson will fly future Commercial Crew missions aboard Boeing's CST-100 Starliner.

Questions & Answers

Q: How is NASA monitoring the Opportunity rover for recovery after the dust storm?

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are monitoring the solar-powered rover for signs of receiving enough energy from the sun to initiate recovery procedures automatically, if possible.

Q: What does the new panoramic image captured by Curiosity rover on Mars show?

The panoramic image captured by Curiosity rover on August 9 shows its latest drill hole, a view of the rover's deck, and the fading dust storm in the skies over Gale Crater.

Q: What progress has NASA made in its Moon to Mars effort?

The recent movement of the mobile launcher atop crawler-transporter 2 at Kennedy Space Center indicates progress in NASA's effort to send humans on missions to the Moon and eventually to Mars. The modified mobile launcher is undergoing tests for the first launch of the Space Launch System rocket with the Orion spacecraft.

Q: What was the purpose of the certification hot fire test at Stennis Space Center?

The certification hot fire test of an RS-25 engine flight controller unit was conducted to evaluate its performance for future flights of the Space Launch System rocket and to assess the 3D-printed part's ability to prevent destabilization during flight.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Mars Opportunity rover is being closely monitored for signs of recovery after a dust storm halted its operations.

• Curiosity rover captures a panoramic image on Mars, showing its latest drill hole and the fading dust storm.

• NASA's mobile launcher at Kennedy Space Center undergoes tests for future Moon and Mars missions.

• RS-25 engine flight controller unit for the Space Launch System rocket undergoes certification hot fire test.

• Dawn spacecraft's mission, which explored asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, is nearing its end.