Articles

Doug Ellison

Mars Exploration Rover scientists, engineers and enthusiasts have been playing the waiting game for 10 weeks, watching the much-reported dust storm subside so that Opportunity could get back to doing what it does best - exploring craters.

Emily Lakdawalla

I just received another batch of

Emily Lakdawalla

Although Mars' atmosphere continues to be rather dusty, the storm has abated enough that both Mars Exploration Rovers have resumed a relatively normal level of activity. For Opportunity, that means a drive to the very edge of Victoria crater.

Emily Lakdawalla

I haven't written an update on the dust storm at Mars recently for two reasons. For one, the rovers are out of immediate danger, so it wasn't as urgent. The other reason is that Jim Bell wanted Cornell to issue a press release with updated versions of the images and animations I've been putting together from the rovers'

Emily Lakdawalla

The skies aren't quite as dark as they have been, for both Spirit and Opportunity. In fact, Spirit has enough power now to be doing a little work with its robotic arm.

Emily Lakdawalla

Over the weekend I fiddled with the

Emily Lakdawalla

The dust storm continues at Mars, but both rovers continue to be power-positive.

Emily Lakdawalla

Both Spirit and Opportunity are still suffering under incredibly dark skies, but, amazingly, they are both

Emily Lakdawalla

Opportunity has ceased operations for a couple of days because the amount of sunlight available is low due to an unpredicted dust storm.

Emily Lakdawalla

There was great news last night from Mars Exploration Rover mission operations: Spirit seems to have enjoyed another

Emily Lakdawalla

Today, New Scientist and researcher Ron Levin retracted the

Emily Lakdawalla

Today's set of image releases from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE team included this one, of a fairly bland-looking lava plain to the northeast of Arsia Mons. Bland, that is, except for a black spot in the center.

Bruce Betts

Two months after the start of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's primary science phase, the Mars Climate Sounder instrument has already acquired more than four million soundings, building toward a vast data set on the three-dimensional structure of Mars' atmosphere over the full Martian year of the orbiter's nominal mission.

Emily Lakdawalla

This amazing view was captured by the CIVA camera on Rosetta's Philae lander just four minutes before its closest approach to Mars on February 25, 2007. The spacecraft was only 1,000 kilometers above the planet.

Emily Lakdawalla

It's easy to forget that Mars is another such world with cloudy weather and seasonally varying climate. This lovely image release from the CRISM instrument on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter brings that point home.

Emily Lakdawalla

Emily Lakdawalla

I've just posted a very detailed timeline of New Horizons' encounter with Jupiter -- take a look!

Emily Lakdawalla

New Horizons' Jupiter encounter is officially underway!

Emily Lakdawalla

This week's releases from the Mars Odyssey THEMIS team included a gorgeous one of the layered interior of Gale crater.

Emily Lakdawalla

I just wanted to point out a couple of new items on the website.