MSL Curiosity Lands Safely in Gale Crater, Landing and Commissioning Activity Period 1A, sols 0-8 Options

[Guest_Oersted_*]

Geology discussion perhaps better continued in the "MSL landing site: Gale Crater"-thread?

[stewjack]

STARTING NOW
http://www.nasa.gov/news/media/newsaudio/index.html

NASA to Host Teleconference About Curiosity Rover Progress
1 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 14 17:00 UTC

[Explorer1]

Visuals here: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/telecon/

[JRehling]

A significant constraint on how a northern ocean might have affected Gale is topography. The di Achille and Hynek work found several putative deltas with elevations of about -2600m to -2200m or higher. Most of Mt. Sharp is below that, but the Upper Mound and light-toned Yardangs are above it. If there were a global water table, then any event that filled the putative northern ocean would have filled the bottom of Gale. Of course, that requires a pathway for the water to arrive, either by rain or at/below the surface. On Earth, areas below sea level exist, but they comprise a small fraction of the land surface area.

It's clear that Gale's history is complex. Even if there were an era where the same source flooded northern Mars and Gale, there were other layer-forming eras, too. Maybe MSL will find one ocean-era layer in the mix.

[Reckless]

I'm afraid there is no link to the nasa audio stream on its teleconference page

Roy

[Explorer1]

That's because its on the usual NASATV page.
Here's the direct link : http://www.nasa.gov/news/media/newsaudio/index.html

[djellison]

It's right here http://www.nasa.gov/news/media/newsaudio/index.html

[Reckless]

I have that page Doug but no link or audio
Roy

[dvandorn]

Hmmm... working fine for me. I just wish I could see all the images as they discuss them. All I've found thus far is the HiRISE color image of the landing site.

-the other Doug

[Reckless]

I just appeared Hooray
Roy

[Explorer1]

Check post 1058, on the last page.

[Drkskywxlt]

First drive in about a week...

[Ondaweb]

I copied the pia as 15685 that showed the original route up Sharp but that just shows the revised landing ellipse. Did any one catch the number from the teleconference?

[Reckless]

After a frustrating time trying get the audio link it was worth it in the end.
Good questions as ever from Emily. So we'll be seeing the top of Mt Sharp shortly.
Still no answer as to whether we will be visiting the high thermal inertia area out east but it looks like we'll know that soon too.
There is just too much to see and I want to see it all.

Roy

[brellis]

Very well done -- no really lame questions, and very little redundancy. Of course, the best questions came from our Blogette Par Excellence!

Once we've mapped the history of Mars on the lower parts, I'll be rooting for Curiosity to use her last bit of juice to gun for the top of Mt. Sharp!