NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has finally reached the Red Planet's Mount Sharp, where it will begin its new exploration mission.
The Mount-Rainier-size mountain is at the center of the vast Gale Crater and the rover mission's long-term prime destination.
Jim Green, director of NASA's Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said that Curiosity now will begin a new chapter from an already outstanding introduction to the world and after a historic and innovative landing along with its successful science discoveries, the scientific sequel is upon us.
The decision to head uphill sooner, instead of continuing to Murray Buttes, also draws from improved understanding of the region's geography provided by the rover's examinations of several outcrops during the past year. Curiosity currently is positioned at the base of the mountain along a pale, distinctive geological feature called the Murray formation. Compared to neighboring crater-floor terrain, the rock of the Murray formation is softer and does not preserve impact scars, as well. As viewed from orbit, it is not as well-layered as other units at the base of Mount Sharp.
Curiosity made its first close-up study last month of two Murray formation outcrops, both revealing notable differences from the terrain explored by Curiosity during the past year. The first outcrop, called Bonanza King, proved too unstable for drilling, but was examined by the rover's instruments and determined to have high silicon content.
The Mars Exploration Rover Project is one element of NASA's ongoing preparation for a human mission to the Red Planet in the 2030s. JPL built Curiosity and manages the project and MRO for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
