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Planetfest 2012 Was a Huge Success

Posted by Casey Dreier on 2012/08/08 07:46 CDT

Planetfest 2012 ended in the best possible way: the Curiosity rover touched down safely on the surface of Mars. In our ballroom, almost two thousand people leapt to their feet and provided thunderous applause to accompany the joyous celebration at mission control.

Curiosity photo MARDI heat shield falling far toward Mars

First full-resolution MARDI frame: Bye-bye, heat shield

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/07 11:50 CDT | 11 comments

The thumbnail versions of the Mars Descent Imager images have shown up on the Curiosity raw images page, and hiding among them was a single full-resolution frame containing the heat shield.

Curiosity MAHLI image taken the day after landing

Curiosity's MAHLI camera: Much more than a microscopic imager

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/07 06:19 CDT | 3 comments

Today's press briefing featured the first image from MAHLI, the Mars Hand Lens Imager, so it's time for me to dive in to this camera's capabilities.

Curiosity sol 1 and planned activities for the next few sols

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/07 04:29 CDT | 11 comments

A look at the current status of Curiosity at the beginning of sol 2, and what activities to look forward to over the next few sols.

Curiosity: Notes from the two day-after-landing press briefings

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/06 07:43 CDT | 7 comments

Notes on Curiosity's physical state, future activities, landing site, and other stuff gleaned from the two press briefings conducted at JPL today.

First look at Curiosity MARDI's descent animation (WOW WOW)

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/06 07:09 CDT | 5 comments

Even a preliminary, low-resolution, low-frame-rate version of Curiosity's descent imager animation of the arrival on Mars contains almost more awesome than I can stand.

A "long" view of the Curiosity Descending image

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/06 06:41 CDT | 2 comments

A wider (well, longer) view of the amazing HiRISE image that shows Curiosity descending under parachute to Mars

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE has done it again!!

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/06 10:42 CDT | 2 comments

In 2008, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped an amazing photo of Phoenix descending to the surface of Mars under its parachute. Now it's repeated the feat, with Curiosity.

Highly processed version of Curiosity sol 0 rear hazcam image

Getting the most out of those first images from Mars

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/06 09:25 CDT | 5 comments

We are on Mars

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/06 05:19 CDT | 13 comments

Somehow, it worked. Curiosity has landed on Mars, returning photos of her wheels and her shadow on a flat, pebbled plain.

Emily Lakdawalla at JPL for Curiosity's landing, August 5, 2012

Where I will be watching Curiosity's landing

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/05 09:03 CDT | 1 comments

People have been asking how to tune in to the landing. Here's some information on how (and from where) I'll be watching tonight's events.

Curiosity: Landing minus 11 hours

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/05 01:30 CDT

The Curiosity mission's final pre-landing press briefing wrapped up a short while ago. There wasn't much in the way of news, which is a good thing. Curiosity is healthy. Odyssey is healthy. There's not much left to do but wait.

Curiosity artist's concept EDL 20 parachute descent

Curiosity landing minus two days

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/04 01:17 CDT | 1 comments

I just came out of a press briefing at JPL, on the morning of the day before Curiosity's landing. The panel seemed fairly calm -- anxious, certainly, but the happy kind of anxiety that precedes something that could be great.

This photo of Mars was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope on May 9, 2003. Processed by Ted Stryk.

Mars24 has been upgraded for Curiosity

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/03 10:46 CDT

Robert Schmunk has released a new version of the Mars24 application to help us tell time at Curiosity's landing site.

What's up in the Solar System in August 2012

Posted by Jason Davis on 2012/08/03 06:03 CDT

Welcome to the monthly roundup of our solar system's envoy of electronic explorers! All eyes are on Curiosity as it approaches Mars this weekend. Who will lend support at the Red Planet?

Curiosity photo face by Emily Lakdawalla

Video: This is not the droid you're looking for

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/02 10:26 CDT

Just to break the tension in advance of Curiosity's landing, a little humor from UnmannedSpaceflight.com's Astro0.

Videos: Where are Curiosity's science instruments and how do they work?

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/08/01 12:51 CDT | 2 comments

Mat Kaplan and I recently recorded a couple of videos giving a tour of the science instruments on the Curiosity Mars rover.

Press briefing schedule for Curiosity (assuming a nominal landing)

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/07/30 07:53 CDT | 4 comments

JPL has published a schedule for press briefings in the first week of Curiosity's mission on Mars.

Celebrate Curiosity with a “Party on Mars!” Saturday night!

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/07/30 08:16 CDT | 1 comments

Join me and Bill Nye to blow off some steam on Saturday night as we anticipate Curiosity’s landing! In the spirit of such nerdtacular gatherings as W00tstock and LeetUp, we’re having a big party at the Paseo Colorado here in Pasadena to celebrate Curiosity!

When will we see Curiosity's first images?

Posted by Emily Lakdawalla on 2012/07/23 03:37 CDT | 5 comments

Enough people have asked me when we'll see Curiosity's first images from the surface of Mars that I sought out an answer. The short version: it depends.