And another drive on sol 4302, getting ready for the weekend!



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Curiosity drove again on sol 4301, going west across the channel.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

The drive on sol 4298 completes the route to the curious "Tungsten Hills" formation.



According the the latest Mission Updates, Curiosity will now resume MSAR 10.

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Belated update to sol 4296. I was traveling and unable to post. On the other hand it allows confirming this long drive - approximately 65m - is the move Dr. Vasavada alluded to and was mentioned by Steve in post #661 of another thread.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Update to sol 4294 includes the new targets at the latest two locations.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

A short drive to the west on sol 4293 followed on sol 4294 by a small position adjustment.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Here is a link to a news source on European spaceflight missions I often use:

https://europeanspaceflight.com/

Fernando

Update of the KML file to sol 4290, including the latest target names and the 20 mi signpost.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4290_2024AUG31.kmz ( 1.57MB ) Number of downloads: 49


A change log can be found in post #494

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Curiosity drove again on sol 4289, arriving at the sol 4246 location but... it is facing backwards.
Perhaps to examine the slab in the workspace during the weekend, before resuming the MSAR 10 (in blue) and crossing the channel.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Curiosity drove again on sol 4287, moving to the north and retracing its path, and is now at the sol 4251 location. No new targets.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Thank you for posting the link to Dr. Vasada's lecture. Somehow I had missed it.

At 24:32 he is asked the question "What is the future look like for Curiosity and this incredible team?"
He answers, and I quote: "You know, I'll show you exactly what it looks like. Here's a picture worth a thousand words."


He then continues, and I quote him again: "So we have some amazing levels of Mount Sharp ahead of us. We've been staring at this cliffy unit that you can see up on the left, the tan - those tan rocks. Unlike anything the rover has been to, we hope to reach those in a few years. We're going to climb more in this river channel we're in. We've got a lot of great targets.
In fact, our team has just been debating where we -- debating where we want to send the rover the next few years. We think it's got several years of great life ahead of it still and we can't wait to see what we find."
End quote.

Considering the next image with the Curiosity's path is in red, the most recent Mount Sharp ascent route is in blue and the original Notional Route, in white, that ends at "those tan rocks" where, if ,memory serves, "the path becomes impassable".


It seems to me that Dr. Vasavada's words do not invalidate the white notional route. Looking forward to the future!
Fernando

Update of the KML file to sol 4282, including the latest zigzag in the Kings Canyon area.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4282_2024AUG25.kmz ( 1.57MB ) Number of downloads: 57

A change log can be found in post #494

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

A new drive on sol 4282 left Curiosity just a few meters north of the previous location.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

This ESA page showing an interactive and labeled version of the first image of Hungry4info's post #134 may be of interest to some members.

Juice snaps Moon en route to Earth

Fernando

Live event is in progress. Flyby has happened. JUICE taken Images are being received and displayed. JUICE which is now (21:40 UTC aprox) about 5000 kms away from the Moon.
Fernando

Update of the KML file to sol 4276. Includes the latest target names, Curiosity remains at the sol 4255 location.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4276_2024AUG17.kmz ( 1.57MB ) Number of downloads: 47

A change log can be found in post #494

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Thank you Phil. I'm adding those names to the KML file since, obviously, Google Earth does not have them.

Here is the updated file:  Chang__e_6_2024AUG12.kmz ( 1.96MB ) Number of downloads: 98


Fernando

This update of the KML file to sol 4266 includes data from the PDS MSL Release 36:

• Route localization data for sols 0-4169
• Analyst's Notebook data for sols 1-4133

and hole #42, Kings Canyon.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4266_2024AUG10.kmz ( 1.57MB ) Number of downloads: 48


A change log can be found in post #494

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Hole #42 "Kings Canyon". This will be included in the next KML file update which will also have the data from PDS Release 36.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Continuing the work of posts #30 and #32, here is a new version of the Chang'e 6 Google Moon (GE) KML file that expands the coverage of some aspects of the mission.

The file's contents are grouped in three major themes: "Planning", "Descent", and "On the Surface":

• Planning, has the contents of the file's previous version, covering the study to select landing areas and the preferred landing site.
• Descent, is about the landing path, using CNSA's movie as a guide. The ground track and a few key points are included, as well as a couple of clips from the landing video.
• On the Surface, includes the actual landing site (an image from LROC's "First view" page), Phil's workspace, and an image taken by Chang'e 6 rover.

The landing coordinates given by JPL are used to co-register the images. Full credit is given to all of the sources.

All the above elements are accessible from GE's left side panel. Some elements are not initially displayed, but can be toggled on and off. Selecting the file name (blue, underscored) on the left panel displays an explanation and all credits.

To install: save the attached file to disk, than double click on it to open it. GE will start, if not started already, and display a message asking to allow changing to the Moon, if the Moon is not currently displayed. The globe will rotate and zoom to the point where CNSA's landing film starts, with a similar perspective.

Follow the ground path to the landing site or select the features on GE's side panel to explore the file's contents.

Your comments, suggestions, as well as reports of any errors, are very welcome. Please post them here or send me a Personal Message.

 Chang__e_6_2024AUG05.kmz ( 1.96MB ) Number of downloads: 98



Fernando

Mars Science Laboratory Release 36

The NASA Planetary Data System announces Release 36 of data from the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity) mission. This release contains raw and derived
data products covering the time period November 6, 2023, to March 23, 2024
(sols 4000-4133). Several instruments have begun archiving their data in
accordance with the PDS4 standard. The data are archived at various PDS nodes.

APXS (Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer) at the Geosciences Node
ChemCam at the Geosciences Node
CheMin at the Geosciences Node
DAN at the Geosciences Node
Engineering Cameras at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
MAHLI (Mars Hand Lens Imager) at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
Mastcam at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
PLACES Database at the Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node
RAD (Radiation Assessment Detector) at the PPI Node
REMS (Rover Environmental Monitoring Station) at the Atmospheres Node
SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) at the Geosciences Node
SPICE at the NAIF Node

The data may be accessed from
https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/

or for a dataset-oriented perspective:
https://pds.nasa.gov/datasearch/subscriptio...-20240802.shtml

The next MSL release is scheduled for December 6, 2024.

The PDS Team
Mailto: pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov
Phone: (818) 393-7165

This update of the KML file to sol 4262 includes a few target names. The location remains the same of sol 4255, as Curiosity prepares to drill a new hole.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4262_2024AUG05.kmz ( 1.57MB ) Number of downloads: 53

A change log can be found in post #494

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

Still at the sol 4255 location. A new hole might me drilled here. Update will a couple of targets.



Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.

ESA has released an animation of JUICE's double flyby.
Here is the link:

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2...nar-Earth_flyby

Fernando

Update of the KML file to sol 4255.

 The_Martian_Way_MSL_Curiosity_Sol_4255_2024JUL27.kmz ( 1.57MB ) Number of downloads: 59

A change log can be found in post #494

Fernando
_____________________________________________________________________
The Martian Way files can also be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OJH...BbQ?usp=sharing
Included are "The Martian Way" KMZ file, User's Guide, and MSL Orbital map of Gale crater.