Uploads from Los Alamos National Laboratory, tagged curiosity

ChemCamOpsCenter1

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 19:49:11 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory and the French Space Agency examine data from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover from inside the ChemCam Operations Center on Monday, Aug. 6, 2012, less than a day after the rover landed on Mars. The ChemCam team received signals indicating that the instrument is healthy and all systems are ready to go. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

WillIAmLANL

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:37:24 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Leland Melvin, NASA associate administrator for education, and Hip Hop artist Will.I.Am discuss the value of inspiring American children to study math and science prior to the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

MediaRushLANL

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:37:25 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Media pack the VIP media room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory prior to the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

HeadlineLANL

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:37:24 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

It seems as though Martian Fever was everywhere in the days leading up to the successful landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

AlexTrebekLANL

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:37:23 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Alex Trebeck, host of the television game show Jeopardy, speaks to reporters before the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

BBarraclough

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:40:43 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Bruce Barraclough, a retired Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist and current member of the Planetary Sciences Institute, enjoys the day before landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover. Barraclough is ChemCam Project Manager for the mission. Los Alamos National Laboratory is playing a crucial roles in several aspects of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The ChemCam instrument fires a laser at Martian rocks and looks at the resultant flash to determine the composition of the rock targets. Data obtained from the instrument will help answer the question of whether Mars ever was or ever will be habitable. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

MassOfMediaDarkRoomControlCenter

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:56:33 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

News Media from all over the world tour NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Control Center "Dark Room" during a media tour Saturday, August 4, 2012, before the anticipated landing of the Curiosity rover, the payload of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Los Alamos National Laboratory has roles in three key technologies aboard the rover—a six-wheeled mobile science laboratory looking for signs of habitability on the Red Planet. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

MSLLuckyPeanuts

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:56:35 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

In anticipation of a successful landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, a jar of "lucky peanuts" stands at the ready at the Flight Director's station at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It is a JPL tradition for the flight director to hand out peanuts to mission control personnel after a successful extraterrestrial landing. Los Alamos National Laboratory has roles in three key technologies aboard the rover—a six-wheeled mobile science laboratory looking for signs of habitability on the Red Planet. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

LifeSizeCuriosityRover

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:56:36 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Jordan Evans, Engineering Development Operations manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, stands next to a life-sized model of the Curiosity rover on Saturday, August 4, 2012—the day before the anticipated landing of the rover on Mars. Los Alamos National Laboratory has roles in three key technologies aboard the rover—a six-wheeled mobile science laboratory looking for signs of habitability on the Red Planet. To demonstrate the massive scale of the Curiosity rover, a life-size model of a previous Mars rover sits next to the Curiosity model. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

Curiosity rover bears three LANL technologies

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:04:56 -0800

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Three technologies are aboard the Mars Science Laboratory mission's Curiosity rover.

Los Alamos radioisotope batteries provide heat and power as well as help drive the vehicles 10 scientific instruments.

One technology, known as ChemCam (pictured in the illustration) is mounted on the rover's mast and uses extremely powerful pulses of laser light to vaporize pinhead-sized areas of the Martian surface from as far away as 23 feet. The tiny flashes created by these pulses will be analyzed by a spectrometer to provide scientists with crucial information about the composition of Mars surface materials.

Another LANL technology, CheMin, uses X-ray diffraction to determine the composition of samples that are collected and dropped into a funnel on the rover.

Cover story of LANL's Why magazine, November 2011: go.usa.gov/N5I

More about ChemCam from LANL's 1663 science and technology magazine: www.lanl.gov/science/1663/november2010/story6.shtml

News release (November 2011): www.lanl.gov/news/releases/los_alamos_instrument_to_shine...

Video about ChemCam: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7UgAtAyLns&list=UUbWmiA_pHk9...

LuckyHairdoLANL

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 01:37:24 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Many NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory personnel have lucky rituals they engage in to ensure a safe landing. Here, shortly after the successful landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover, Bobak Ferdosi, NASA activity lead for the mission, celebrates with other members of the mission team with the lucky haircut he had done to ensure a safe landing. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

TNelson

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:40:47 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Tony Nelson contemplates the upcoming landing of the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover on Sunday during a pre-landing picnic with the ChemCam team. Nelson is the team's engineering payload uplink leader, a demanding task that is crucial to instructing the ChemCam instrument what to do throughout the two-year mission. Los Alamos National Laboratory is playing a crucial roles in several aspects of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The ChemCam instrument fires a laser at Martian rocks and looks at the resultant flash to determine the composition of the rock targets. Data obtained from the instrument will help answer the question of whether Mars ever was or ever will be habitable. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

RWiens2

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:40:47 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Los Alamos National Laboratory planetary scientist Roger Wiens, Principal Investigator for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover ChemCam instrument, enjoys a moment with a reporter the morning of Curiosity's expected landing day. The ChemCam instrument fires a laser at Martian rocks and looks at the resultant flash to determine the composition of the rock targets. Data obtained from the instrument will help answer the question of whether Mars ever was or ever will be habitable. Los Alamos National Laboratory is playing a crucial roles in several aspects of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

HNewsomBBarraclough

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:40:45 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Bruce Barraclough, right, of the Planetary Sciences Institute and a retired Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist, and University of New Mexico professor Horton Newsom, enjoy a lighter moment during a pre-landing picnic with the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover ChemCam team. Los Alamos National Laboratory is playing a crucial roles in several aspects of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The ChemCam instrument fires a laser at Martian rocks and looks at the resultant flash to determine the composition of the rock targets. Data obtained from the instrument will help answer the question of whether Mars ever was or ever will be habitable. Barraclough is the ChemCam Project Manager. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

DVaniman

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:40:44 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

David Vaniman, a planetary scientist with the Planetary Sciences Institute and a retired Los Alamos National Laboratory Scientist, waits for the landing of the Curiosty rover with members of the ChemCam team. Vaniman is part of the Mars Science Laboratory mission's CheMin instrument team. CheMin takes samples of of Martian rock and dust and deposits them into a funnel for analyses inside the rover. CheMin will answer crucial questions about Martian mineralogy, which could help researchers determine the processes by which Mars transformed from a wetter habitat into an arid one. Vaniman is also a member of the ChemCam team. Los Alamos National Laboratory is playing a crucial roles in several aspects of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

NLanza

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 16:40:46 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

Los Alamos National Laboratory post-doctoral researcher talks about Martian geology during a pre-landing picnic with the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover ChemCam team. Los Alamos National Laboratory is playing a crucial roles in several aspects of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. The ChemCam instrument fires a laser at Martian rocks and looks at the resultant flash to determine the composition of the rock targets. Data obtained from the instrument will help answer the question of whether Mars ever was or ever will be habitable. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

FlightDirectorMSLSaturday

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:56:35 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

David Oh, Lead Flight Director for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Mission, explains the workings of Mission Control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, during a media tour on August 4, 2012. The Curiosity rover, a six-wheeled, roaming science laboratory, is scheduled to land on Mars on August 5, 2012. Los Alamos National Laboratory has roles in three key technologies aboard the rover—a six-wheeled mobile science laboratory looking for signs of habitability on the Red Planet. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

MSLMobCassiniRoom

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:56:33 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

In anticipation of the Sunday, August 5, 2012, Curiosity rover landing on Mars, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory was overrun by the news media and the curious. Los Alamos National Laboratory has roles in three key technologies aboard the rover—a six-wheeled mobile science laboratory looking for signs of habitability on the Red Planet. In this photo, a group gets briefed by NASA personnel in the press room, which features a half-scale model of the Cassini space craft in the background. Los Alamos National Laboratory instruments fly aboard Cassini as well. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

MSLDarkRoomControlCenter

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:56:34 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

NASA operations manager Jim McClure shows off the workings of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Control Center "Dark Room" during a media tour Saturday, August 4, 2012, before the anticipated landing of the Curiosity rover, the payload of the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Los Alamos National Laboratory has roles in three key technologies aboard the rover—a six-wheeled mobile science laboratory looking for signs of habitability on the Red Planet. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman

MSLMediaRoomSaturday

nobody@flickr.com (Los Alamos National Laboratory) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 16:56:33 -0700

Los Alamos National Laboratory posted a photo:

In anticipation of the Sunday, August 5, 2012, Curiosity rover landing on Mars, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory was overrun by the news media and the curious. Los Alamos National Laboratory has roles in three key technologies aboard the rover—a six-wheeled mobile science laboratory looking for signs of habitability on the Red Planet. In this photo, the press room at JPL is already packed with journalists and bustling with activity on Saturday, August 4, 2012. Photo Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory/James Rickman