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Euclid opens data treasure trove, offers glimpse of deep fields
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By European Space Agency
Image: Webb takes a fresh look at a classic deep field View the full article
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Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home 3 min read
Curiosity Blog, Sols 4607-4608: Deep Dip
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image, looking toward the upper slopes of Mount Sharp, using its Left Navigation Camera (Left Navcam) on July 20, 2025. Curiosity captured the image on Sol 4605, or Martian day 4,605 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 18:58:26 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Deborah Padgett, MSL OPGS Task Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Earth planning date: Monday, July 21, 2025
Curiosity continues our exploration of the fractured boxwork terrain on the slopes of Mount Sharp. After a successful 5-meter drive (about 16 feet), our rover is resting in a hollow on its way to a boxwork ridge viewpoint. Over the weekend, Curiosity began an atmospheric observation with the SAM instrument, which will continue into today’s plan. Because the SAM instrument is complex and powerful, it uses a great deal of energy when it operates, causing what we call a “deep dip” in the battery charge level. This means that we have to wait a bit after the SAM observations complete for the battery to recharge enough for Curiosity to observe its surroundings with other science instruments, or move its arm or wheels. For this reason, the plan today does not include a drive, and contact science at this location will be done on the second sol of the plan.
On Sol 4607, Curiosity will begin the day with SAM atmospheric composition activity, which will run for several hours. After it finishes, we will use the rover’s navigation camera to perform a cloud altitude observation, looking for cloud shadows on the upper reaches of Mount Sharp, and clouds drifting by overhead at the zenith. Overnight, Curiosity’s battery will recharge, allowing us to perform a targeted science block on the morning of Sol 4608. This starts with Navcam observations of dust opacity across the floor of Gale Crater, then a measurement of dust in the air toward the Sun with Mastcam. Curiosity then turns Mastcam toward the ridge ahead to obtain a 15×1 mosaic on target “Cueva De Los Vencejos Y Murcielagos (Cave of Swifts and Bats).” Afterwards, Mastcam will look back along Curiosity’s tracks, hoping to see freshly broken rocks and determine the texture of disturbed ground. Next, ChemCam’s laser spectrograph will zap a nodular rock pillar named for the famous high-altitude “Lake Titicaca” bordering Bolivia and Peru. A second ChemCam observation with the RMI telescopic camera will study stratigraphy on the Mishe Mokwa butte with a 5×2 image mosaic. Mastcam will finish off this science block by looking at the pits left behind by the ChemCam laser on target “Lake Titicaca.”
In the afternoon, Curiosity’s arm will reach out to brush the dust from the bedrock target “La Tranquita,” then observe it with the MAHLI microscopic imager and APXS. MAHLI and APXS will also investigate plate-like rock formations at target “Aqua Dulce.” A third target with more complex rock structures dubbed “Paposo,” after a natural monument along the Pacific Coast of northern Chile, will be imaged only by MAHLI. The next morning will include another targeted science block. Curiosity will then drive away toward the next viewpoint in the boxwork terrain of Mars.
For more Curiosity blog posts, visit MSL Mission Updates
Learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments
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Last Updated Jul 22, 2025 Related Terms
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By NASA
Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions Mars Home NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image, looking south across the large boxwork structures, using its Left Navigation Camera on July 17, 2025. A series of ridges and hollows forms the dramatic topography in the foreground, while the distant buttes expose additional sedimentary structures. Curiosity acquired this image on Sol 4602, or Martian day 4,602 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, at 17:49:18 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Written by Lauren Edgar, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center
Earth planning date: Friday, July 18, 2025
Curiosity has started to investigate the main exposure of the boxwork structures! What was once a distant target is now on our doorstep, and Curiosity is beginning to explore the ridges and hollows that make up this terrain, to better understand their chemistry, morphology, and sedimentary structures.
I was on shift as Long Term Planner during this three-sol weekend plan, and the team put together a very full set of activities to thoroughly investigate this site — from the sky to the sand. The plan starts with Navcam and Mastcam observations to assess the amount of dust in the atmosphere, followed by a large Mastcam mosaic to characterize the resistant ridge on which the rover is parked. ChemCam will also acquire a LIBS observation on a target named “Vicuna” to assess the chemistry of a well-exposed vein. The team chose this parking location to characterize the chemistry and textures of this topographic ridge (to compare with topographic lows), so the next part of the plan involves contact science using APXS and MAHLI to look at different parts of the nodular bedrock in our workspace, at targets named “Totoral” and “Sillar.” There’s also a MAHLI observation of the same vein that ChemCam targeted.
The second sol involves more Mastcam imaging to look at different parts of this prominent ridge, along with a ChemCam LIBS observation on top of the ridge, and a ChemCam RMI mosaic to document the sedimentary structures in a distant boxwork feature. Navcam will also be used to look for dust devils. Then Curiosity will take a short drive of about 5 meters (about 16 feet) to explore the adjacent hollow (seen as the low point in the foreground of the above Navcam image). After the drive we’ll take more images for context, and to prepare for targeting in Monday’s plan.
After all of this work it’s time to pause and take a deep breath… of Martian atmosphere. The weekend plan involves an exciting campaign to look for variations in atmospheric chemistry between night and day. So Curiosity will take an overnight APXS atmospheric observation at the same time that two instruments within SAM assess its chemical and isotopic abundance.
On the third sol Curiosity will acquire a ChemCam passive sky observation, leading to a great set of atmospheric data. These measurements will be compared to even more atmospheric activities in Monday’s plan to get the full picture. As you can imagine, this plan requires a lot of power, but it’s worth it for all of the exciting science that we can accomplish here.
The road ahead has many highs and lows (literally), but I can’t wait to see what Curiosity will accomplish. The distant buttes remind us that there’s so much more to explore, and I look forward to continuing to see where Curiosity will take us.
For more Curiosity blog posts, visit MSL Mission Updates
Learn more about Curiosity’s science instruments
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NASA Glenn Research Center’s Thermal Energy Conversion Branch team and the University of Leicester’s Space Nuclear Power team pose for a photo at the center in Cleveland following a successful test in January 2025.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis To explore the unknown in deep space, millions of miles away from Earth, it’s crucial for spacecraft to have ample power. NASA’s radioisotope power systems (RPS) are a viable option for these missions and have been used for over 60 years, including for the agency’s Voyager spacecraft and Perseverance Mars rover. These nuclear batteries provide long-term electrical power for spacecraft and science instruments using heat produced by the natural radioactive decay of radioisotopes. Now, NASA is testing a new type of RPS heat source fuel that could become an additional option for future long-duration journeys to extreme environments.
Historically, the radioisotope plutonium-238 (plutonium oxide) has been NASA’s RPS heat source fuel of choice, but americium-241 has been a source of interest for the past two decades in Europe. In January, the Thermal Energy Conversion Branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland and the University of Leicester, based in the United Kingdom, partnered through an agreement to put this new option to the test.
One method to generate electricity from radioisotope heat sources is the free-piston Stirling convertor. This is a heat engine that converts thermal energy into electrical energy. However, instead of a crankshaft to extract power, pistons float freely within the engine. It could operate for decades continuously without wear, as it does not have piston rings or rotating bearings that will eventually wear out. Thus, a Stirling convertor could generate more energy, allowing more time for exploration in deep space. Researchers from the University of Leicester — who have been leaders in the development of americium RPS and heater units for more than 15 years — and NASA worked to test the capabilities of a Stirling generator testbed powered by two electrically heated americium-241 heat source simulators.
“The concept started as just a design, and we took it all the way to the prototype level: something close to a flight version of the generator,” said Salvatore Oriti, mechanical engineer at Glenn. “The more impressive part is how quickly and inexpensively we got it done, only made possible by a great synergy between the NASA and University of Leicester teams. We were on the same wavelength and shared the same mindset.”
Salvatore Oriti, mechanical engineer in the Thermal Energy Conversion Branch at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, adjusts the Stirling testbed in preparation for testing at the center in January 2025.Credit: NASA/Jef Janis The university provided the heat source simulators and generator housing. The heat source simulator is the exact size and shape of their real americium-241 heat source, but it uses embedded electric heaters to create an equivalent amount of heat to simulate the decay of americium fuel and therefore drive generator operation. The Stirling Research Lab at Glenn provided the test station, Stirling convertor hardware, and support equipment.
“A particular highlight of this (testbed) design is that it is capable of withstanding a failed Stirling convertor without a loss of electrical power,” said Hannah Sargeant, research fellow at the University of Leicester. “This feature was demonstrated successfully in the test campaign and highlights the robustness and reliability of an Americium-Radioisotope Stirling Generator for potential future spaceflight missions, including long-duration missions that could operate for many decades.”
The test proved the viability of an americium-fueled Stirling RPS, and performance and efficiency targets were successfully met. As for what’s next, the Glenn team is pursuing the next version of the testbed that will be lower mass, higher fidelity, and undergo further environmental testing.
“I was very pleased with how smoothly everything went,” Oriti said of the test results. “Usually in my experience, you don’t accomplish everything you set out to, but we did that and more. We plan to continue that level of success in the future.”
For more information on NASA’s RPS programs, visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/rps
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A team works together on their project during the 2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge event in in Arequipa, Peru. Teams have two days to respond to the challenges and submit their project for the chance to win one of 10 global awards. NASA invites innovators of all ages to register for the NASA Space Apps Challenge, held on Oct. 4-5. The 2025 theme is Learn, Launch, Lead, and participants will work alongside a vibrant community of scientists, technologists, and storytellers at more than 450 events worldwide. Participants can expect to learn skills to succeed in STEM fields, launch ideas that transform NASA’s open data into actionable tools, and lead their communities in driving technological innovation.
During the NASA Space Apps Challenge, participants in the U.S. and around the world gather at hundreds of in-person and virtual events to address challenges authored by subject matter experts across NASA divisions. These challenges range in complexity and topic, tasking participants with everything from creating machine learning models and leveraging artificial intelligence, to improving access to NASA research, to designing sustainable recycling systems for Mars, and to developing tools to evaluate local air quality here on Earth.
Dr. Yoseline Angel Lopez, a former space apps challenge winner and now an assistant research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, can attest that the opportunity to Learn, Launch, Lead goes far beyond the hackathon.
“The NASA Space Apps Challenge gave me and my team a meaningful opportunity to apply science to real-world problems and gain validation from NASA scientists and industry experts,” said Angel.
In 2021, her team’s winning web-app prototype was adopted by Colombia’s Ministry of Agriculture, connecting smallholder farmers with local buyers. The platform also supported agricultural land-use monitoring using satellite imagery.
After the hackathon, project submissions are judged by NASA and space agency experts. Winners are selected for one of 10 global awards.
“Participating in the hackathon is exciting on its own. But when your project can lead to greater opportunities and make a difference in your community, that’s a dream come true,” said Angel. She will return to the 2025 hackathon as a NASA subject matter expert and challenge author, giving a Golden Age of innovators the opportunity to make a difference in their communities through the use of data from NASA and 14 space agency partners.
This year’s partners include: Bahrain Space Agency; Brazilian Space Agency; CSA (Canadian Space Agency); ESA (European Space Agency); ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation); Italian Space Agency; JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency); Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre of the United Arab Emirates; National Space Activities Commission of Argentina; Paraguayan Space Agency; South African National Space Agency; Spanish Space Agency; Turkish Space Agency; and the UK Space Agency.
NASA Space Apps is funded by NASA’s Earth Science Division through a contract with Booz Allen Hamilton, Mindgrub, and SecondMuse.
We invite you to register for the 2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge and choose a virtual or in-person event near you at:
https://www.spaceappschallenge.org
Find videos about Space Apps at:
youtube.com/c/NASASpaceAppsChallenge
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