Errymath: mars rover

The 7 strangest things the Curiosity rover beamed back from Mars

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<strong>1. Dust devils </strong><br />
Curiosity captured this amazing footage of dust devils
 whirling spectacularly on Mars as summer winds blew across the Red 
planet. Dust devils form as a result of sunshine warming the ground, 
causing the convective rising of air.<br />
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<img alt="The 7 strangest things the Curiosity rover beamed back from Mars (PHOTOS/VIDEOS) " class="media__item " src="https://cdn.rt.com/files/2017.08/original/59858739dda4c88f768b4567.jpg" /><br />
NASA<br />
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It’s five years to the day since NASA’s Curiosity <b>Mars rover</b> 
touched down on the surface of Mars – a staggering 248 million 
kilometers (154 million miles) from Earth.

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Curiosity
 has many a space nerd hooked to its updates, providing huge quantities 
of images and data to trawl through, and inspiring endless speculation 
over the Red Planet’s features (and inhabitants).<br />
To mark 
Curiosity’s five years roaming our nearest planetary neighbor, RT.com 
takes a look back at some of the strangest images it beamed back to 
Earth.<br />
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<strong>2. Bone-shaped rocks</strong><br />
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                   ©  NASA / JPL-CALTECH / MSSS      
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In 2014, Curiosity set pulses racing with this <a href="https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=6538" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">incredible image</a>
 reminiscent of a thigh bone. NASA was quick to dismiss such ideas, 
saying it likely shows rocks sculpted by wind or water erosion.<br />
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<strong>3. Star destroyer</strong><br />
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                   © www.ufosightingsdaily.com
      
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This Curiosity image
 of its rocky Martian surroundings prompted UFO enthusiasts to claim it 
as evidence of an alien spacecraft on Mars. Funny how alien craft are 
eerily similar to those thought up by movie writers here on Earth!<br />
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<strong>4. Monster on Mars?</strong><br />
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                   © NASA      
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The rover’s mission is to 
study Mars and determine if it hosts – or ever hosted – life. This photo
 of dusty, jagged rocks looks pretty innocuous at first glance, but some
 eagle-eyed observers claim it clearly shows a ‘space crab’
 lurking in the shadows. One Mars exploration fanpage on Facebook even 
suggested it bore an eerie resemblance to the creepy facehuggers from 
the Alien movies.<br />
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<strong>5. The Coffin</strong><br />
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                   Still from Youtube video (WhatsUpInTheSky37) / YouTube
      
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Aliens don’t bury their dead –
 apparently, they just leave them in coffins on Mars’ surface for all 
eternity. At least that’s what was suggested when this oblong shape was snapped by Curiosity in late<br />
2014.<br />
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<strong>6. Itself</strong><br />
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                   Looking good Curiosity. © @MarsCuriosity / Twitter      
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Curiosity channeled its own narcissistic celebrity with a series of images last year. The Red Planet selfie, looking somewhat like a holiday snap, comprises of 60 images taken while drilling into rock.<br />
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<strong>7. The breasted alien</strong><br />
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A raw image taken by the curiosity rover got the attention of many UFO fans who claimed to have spotted an alien “<em>woman with breasts and long hair</em>” who is “<em>attentively watching</em>” from afar.<br />
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<b>The Star Destroyer </b><br />
Spotted by UFO enthusiast Scott C. Waring this ‘Star Destroyer’, he 
claims is 2.5 to 3 metres in length so, “it probably only held a few 
passengers." Funny how alien craft are eerily similar to those<br />
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<b>Alien woman with breasts</b></div>
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Martian women also have breasts apparently. At least that’s according to the good people at UFO Sightings Daily, though they are torn as to whether it is a living, breathing ‘woman’ or a statue</div>
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<b>The Space Crab</b> </div>
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“They will not tell the truth about MARS.” Exclaims the description on the Facebook group that discovered this gem. We don’t think they will either.</div>
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<b>The Coffin </b></div>
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Aliens don’t bury their dead, apparently they just leave them in coffins on Mars's surface for all eternity. </div>
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<b>Martian dust devils</b></div>
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Curiosity Rover captured this amazing footage of dust devils whirling spectacularly on Mars as summer winds blew across the Red planet.<br />
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<b>Itself </b></div>
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Curiosity channelled its own narcissistic celebrity with a series of images last year. The Red Planet selfie, thought to be the first of its kind, comprises of 60 images taken while drilling into rock </div>
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The 7 strangest things the Curiosity rover beamed back from Mars

1. Dust devils Curiosity captured this amazing footage of dust devils whirling spectacularly on Mars as summer winds blew across the R...

Mars Rovers and Lunar Chariots: NASA’s radical plans to explore the Red Planet

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NASA / Reuters   
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The race to send a human crew to Mars is well and truly on, but 
how will the first explorers survey the terrain when they arrive? NASA 
has been working on a number of vehicles that could transport astronauts
 – and even some that might help deepen their understanding of the Red 
Planet.<br />
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One such project is a six-wheeled Mars rover unveiled at Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week.<br />
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As a concept vehicle, the hulking Batmobile-like mean machine is 
unlikely to ever actually make it to Mars. However, the mammoth rover, 
standing 11ft (3.5 meters) tall and seating four people, gives an 
interesting insight into the way the US space agency is thinking about 
future missions.<br />
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<i>“The next generation of space explorers could
 be traveling and working in high-tech mobile lab similar to [the 
concept vehicle],”</i> NASA <a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/events/events-calendar/2017/june/event-mars-rover-reveal">said</a>. <i>“[This
 rover] features life support systems, navigation and communication 
systems, design and materials that relate to conditions and resources on
 Mars.”</i><br />
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So if the six-wheel drive vehicle is just one of the 
options, what else might NASA cook up for those brave enough to venture 
to alien worlds?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here are five prototype machines proposed by the US space agency:</b></span><br />
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<b>1. Mars Flyer</b></div>
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One way crews could survey the Martian world is by using a drone. <br />
Under
 development at NASA’s Langley Research Center, the ‘Mars Electric 
Flyer’ is being designed to fly in the Red Planet’s thin atmosphere. </div>
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Powered
 by battery, it is hoped the drone will be able to carry out vertical 
takeoff and landings. The plan is to send the autonomous craft, packed 
with mapping systems, on board a future Mars rover.</div>
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<b>2 Mars Rover 2020</b></div>
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This
 rover is one that NASA definitely intends to use. In fact, the space 
agency has already narrowed down three potential landing spots for a 
mission to Mars in 2020. It is hoped the drone will assess the climate 
and lay the groundwork for human exploration. <br />
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About the size of
 a small car, the rover has wheels and ‘legs’ to get around, and is 
equipped with cameras and internal sensors to navigate the difficult 
terrain.</div>
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<b>3. Lunar Electric Rover (LER)</b></div>
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Also known as the Small Pressurized Rover, the lunar vehicle was tested by NASA in 2008 for missions to the moon. </div>
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Resembling
 a minibus, the LER has yet to make it to the moon since no such mission
 is currently planned. However, the unusual looking vehicle may come in 
handy for Mars excursions. Mostly made up of a pressurized cabin, the 
LER can attach cranes, bulldozer blades and winches to its chassis. <br />
The craft can sustain astronauts for up to 72 hours, protecting them from extreme environments.</div>
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<b>4. Prandtl-m plane</b></div>
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Talked
 up by NASA in 2015, the Prandtl-m plane has been mooted as a possible 
feature of future Mars missions. The glider, which has a 24-inch wing 
span, is too small to carry humans. <br />
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But NASA says it may be used to survey the Martian landscape, potentially as soon as 2022.</div>
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<b>5. Lunar Chariot</b></div>
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Similar in design to the Lunar Electric Rover’s chassis, the Chariot is an unpressurized means to get around rough terrain. <br />
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Equipped
 with six wheels that can turn in any direction, the platform carries a 
standing astronaut and can rotate 360 degrees. NASA says the machine was
 built to make “off roading easy”.</div>
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Mars Rovers and Lunar Chariots: NASA’s radical plans to explore the Red Planet

NASA / Reuters The race to send a human crew to Mars is well and truly on, but how will the first explorers survey the terrain when...

Unveils Mars 2020 probe and science goals

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<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/giMlizAZDF_5COxkXr4_ehhybKAhmzRBO7xltSOv_5I/mtime:1471946243/sites/default/files/styles/768_wide/public/2016/08/23/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-1.jpg?itok=LHSp3Nxa" src="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/giMlizAZDF_5COxkXr4_ehhybKAhmzRBO7xltSOv_5I/mtime:1471946243/sites/default/files/styles/768_wide/public/2016/08/23/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-1.jpg?itok=LHSp3Nxa" /><br />
<a href="http://gbtimes.com/china/china-unveils-its-mars-2020-probe-and-science-goals" target="_blank">Martian probe, set for a 2020</a> launch date, is open to public naming suggestions <br />
<br />
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China has released images of its orbiter, lander and rover for its 
ambitious 2020 Mars mission, along with details of the scientific 
instruments to be sent to the Red Planet.<br />
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Chief architect of the mission, Zhang Rongqiao, told a press conference 
in Beijing on Tuesday that the mission will be complex and ambitious, 
including an orbiter, lander and rover.<br />
<br />
The lander will carry a gasbag, a parachute and reverse thrust engines 
in order to achieve a safe landing, while factors such as the 
long-distance data transmission delay means that the rover will have a 
high autonomy. <br />
<br />
The science goals include studying the Martian topography, soil, 
environment, atmosphere and water ice, as well as the planet's internal 
structure and search for possible signs of life.<br />
<br />
The mission will launch on a Long March 5 rocket from the new Wenchang spaceport on the island province of Hainan in summer 2020. <br />
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<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://cdn2.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/XCdo7_FO4qA8cop5K0lvATz5hGF25ACQwhyaDvxsp2A/mtime:1471946422/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-2.jpg" src="http://cdn2.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/XCdo7_FO4qA8cop5K0lvATz5hGF25ACQwhyaDvxsp2A/mtime:1471946422/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-2.jpg" /><br />
<i>Above: China's Mars 2020 lander using thrusters for landing (Xinhua).</i><br />
<i><br />
After around seven months and 400m kilometres, the mission will attempt 
to enter Mars orbit and achieve the orbiting, landing and roving aspects
 of the mission.<br />
<br />
Dr Wu Ji, director of the National Space Science Centre in Beijing which develops space science payloads, <a class="externalLink" href="http://gbtimes.com/china/china-racing-make-2020-launch-window-mars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">revealed to gbtimes in February</a>
 that the orbiter will have on board space particle detectors and 
cameras capable of detecting methane – the presence of which may 
indicate biological processes occurring on Mars.<br />
<br />
The rover will carry a ground penetrating radar that could reveal a much about the past and present of Mars.</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i><i><i><i><i><span style="font-size: 18px;"><i>The same instrument allowed China’s <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2016/01281656-fun-with-a-new-data-set-change.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yutu rover</a>
 to image around 400m below the lunar surface, making intriguing 
discoveries about the composition and history of the Moon, such as 
evidence of <a class="externalLink" href="http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/03/chinas-yutu-lunar-rover-found-evidence-of-multiple-volcanic-floods/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">volcanic floods</a>.</i></span></i></i></i></i>  </i><br />
<i><br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/2PhHInxeUzTamF0temPk2gm0djBvrDd6BXmFCHKEEWc/mtime:1471946512/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-3.jpg" src="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/2PhHInxeUzTamF0temPk2gm0djBvrDd6BXmFCHKEEWc/mtime:1471946512/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-3.jpg" /><br />

<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/negPgWpR7rfeyHqsg7Tv67qWB5A3XXWEpjYo33Z8Tec/mtime:1471946596/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-4.jpg" src="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/negPgWpR7rfeyHqsg7Tv67qWB5A3XXWEpjYo33Z8Tec/mtime:1471946596/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-4.jpg" /><br />
<i>2020 Mars rover.</i><br />
<i><br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/F_qXrEJwuhqI4qTgfTnlpQkXb8Qz-lZmUdYbbd9SKhY/mtime:1471948771/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-5.jpg" src="http://cdn3.gbtimes.com/cdn/farfuture/F_qXrEJwuhqI4qTgfTnlpQkXb8Qz-lZmUdYbbd9SKhY/mtime:1471948771/sites/default/files/inline_images/china-mars-2020-orbiter-lander-rover-config-5.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">From the Moon to Mars</span><br />
China has already successfully put a lander and rover on the Moon in 
late 2013, but a landing on the Red Planet poses greater challenges, as 
it involves great speeds than a lunar mission, a thin but significant 
atmosphere, different gravity and an active planetary surface.<br />
</i></i><br />
<i><i></i></i><br />
<i><i><br />
<a class="externalLink" href="http://gbtimes.com/people/ye-peijian" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ye Peijian</a>,
 an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says the probe is 
being developed by the team that completed the 2013 Chang'e-3 lunar 
lander mission.<br />
<br />
While this will be China's first attempt at an independent mission to 
Mars, China first attempted to reach the Red Planet with Yinghuo-1 on 
the back of Russia’s exciting <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.russianspaceweb.com/phobos_grunt.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phobos-Grunt mission</a> to return samples from one of the moons of Mars in 2011, but the spacecraft failed to leave Earth orbit.<br />
<br />
The country was then stung by
 the success of neighbours and fellow emergent Asian space power India, 
when it successfully inserted its ‘Mangalyaan’ probe into orbit around 
Mars in 2014.<br />
<br />
China’s 2020 mission will share the optimal launch window for Mars missions, which occurs roughly every two years, with <a class="externalLink" href="http://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nasa’s 2020 Mars mission</a>, a Japan-launched mission for the <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.emiratesmarsmission.ae/mars-probe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">United Arab Emirates</a> and perhaps also the second European-Russian <a class="externalLink" href="http://exploration.esa.int/mars/48088-mission-overview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ExoMars </a>mission.</i></i><br />
<br /></div>

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