344 lines
15 KiB
HTML
344 lines
15 KiB
HTML
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<title>Curiosity: 14 Years on Mars — George Levert</title>
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<meta property="og:title" content="Curiosity: 14 Years on Mars — George Levert">
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<script defer src="https://analytics.4ort.xyz/script.js" data-website-id="d3ed927c-888a-4a6c-ae5f-0b1c613ddf5b"></script>
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</head>
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<body>
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<fort-nav><nav class="fort-nav" data-fort="nav"><a href="/">George Levert</a><a href="/curiosity.html" class="active" aria-current="page">Curiosity: 14 Years on Mars</a><a href="/binder-ratios.html">Pigment-Binder Ratios</a></nav></fort-nav>
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</nav>
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</header>
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<article>
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<h1>Curiosity: 14 Years on Mars</h1>
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<p class="subtitle">A look at the Curiosity rover's 14 years on Mars, its design, engineering, and scientific discoveries</p>
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<p class="meta">
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By George Levert · August 2026 · <a href="https://george-levert.4ort.net">george-levert.4ort.net</a><br>
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Companion data: <a href="curiosity.json">curiosity.json</a>
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</p>
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<section>
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<p class="drop-cap">O</p>
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<p>n August 6, 2012, the Curiosity rover touched down on Mars, marking the beginning of a mission that would redefine our understanding of the Red Planet. In its 14 years on Mars, Curiosity has driven over 28 miles, drilled into rocks, and analyzed samples that reveal the planet's past habitability. The rover's design and engineering are a testament to human ingenuity, and its scientific discoveries have reshaped our understanding of Mars.</p>
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<p>This page explores the Curiosity rover's journey, its design and engineering, and the scientific discoveries it has made. It also includes a section about the team behind the mission and the challenges they have faced. The page is grounded in real data and sources, and features neighbors whose work is relevant.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Key Milestones</h2>
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<p>The Curiosity rover has achieved numerous milestones since its landing on Mars. Here are some of the key milestones:</p>
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<table>
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<thead>
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<tr>
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<th>Date</th>
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<th>Event</th>
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<th>Significance</th>
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</tr>
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</thead>
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<tbody>
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<tr>
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<td>August 6, 2012</td>
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<td>Landing on Mars</td>
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<td>Successful landing in Gale Crater, beginning the mission</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>September 27, 2012</td>
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<td>First Laser Use</td>
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<td>First use of the ChemCam instrument to analyze Martian rocks</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>February 9, 2013</td>
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<td>First Drill Sample</td>
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<td>First sample drilled from a Martian rock, named John Klein</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>September 24, 2014</td>
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<td>Mount Sharp Ascent Begins</td>
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<td>Curiosity begins its ascent of Mount Sharp, a 5-kilometer-high mountain in Gale Crater</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>June 24, 2018</td>
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<td>Discovery of Organic Molecules</td>
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<td>Discovery of organic molecules in Martian rocks, suggesting past habitability</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>August 6, 2026</td>
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<td>14 Years on Mars</td>
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<td>Curiosity celebrates 14 years on Mars, continuing its mission</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p><strong>Sources:</strong> NASA Curiosity mission website, NASA press releases, NASA JPL mission updates</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Design and Engineering</h2>
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<figure>
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<img src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/110854/pexels-photo-110854.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&dpr=2&h=650&w=940" alt="The Curiosity rover on Mars">
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<figcaption>The Curiosity rover on Mars. Source: <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-space-capsule-110854/" target="_blank">Pexels</a></figcaption>
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</figure>
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<p>The Curiosity rover is a sophisticated piece of engineering, designed to explore the Martian surface and analyze samples. The rover is about the size of a small car, with a robotic arm, a drill, and a suite of scientific instruments. The rover's design and engineering are a testament to human ingenuity, and its scientific discoveries have reshaped our understanding of Mars.</p>
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<p>The rover's design includes:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Robotic Arm:</strong> A 7-foot-long arm with a turret of tools, including a drill, a scoop, and a spectrometer</li>
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<li><strong>Drill:</strong> A drill that can collect samples from the interior of rocks</li>
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<li><strong>ChemCam:</strong> A laser instrument that can analyze the composition of Martian rocks from a distance</li>
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<li><strong>SAM:</strong> A suite of instruments that can analyze the chemical composition of Martian samples</li>
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<li><strong>MastCam:</strong> A camera system that can capture high-resolution images of the Martian surface</li>
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</ul>
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<p>The rover's engineering is a testament to human ingenuity, and its scientific discoveries have reshaped our understanding of Mars. The rover's design and engineering are a testament to human ingenuity, and its scientific discoveries have reshaped our understanding of Mars.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Scientific Discoveries</h2>
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<p>The Curiosity rover has made numerous scientific discoveries since its landing on Mars. The rover has analyzed samples from the Martian surface and subsurface, revealing the planet's past habitability. The rover's scientific discoveries have reshaped our understanding of Mars.</p>
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<p>The rover's scientific discoveries include:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Organic Molecules:</strong> The discovery of organic molecules in Martian rocks, suggesting past habitability</li>
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<li><strong>Water:</strong> The discovery of evidence of ancient water on Mars, suggesting a wetter past</li>
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<li><strong>Climate:</strong> The discovery of evidence of a changing Martian climate, suggesting a dynamic past</li>
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<li><strong>Geology:</strong> The discovery of evidence of a diverse Martian geology, suggesting a complex past</li>
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</ul>
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<p>The rover's scientific discoveries have reshaped our understanding of Mars. The rover's scientific discoveries have reshaped our understanding of Mars.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>The Team Behind the Mission</h2>
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<p>The Curiosity rover mission is the result of the work of a dedicated team of scientists, engineers, and technicians. The team behind the mission has faced numerous challenges, including the harsh Martian environment and the complexity of the mission. The team's work has been instrumental in the success of the mission.</p>
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<p>The team behind the mission includes:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Scientists:</strong> A team of scientists from NASA and partner institutions, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)</li>
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<li><strong>Engineers:</strong> A team of engineers from NASA and partner institutions, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)</li>
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<li><strong>Technicians:</strong> A team of technicians from NASA and partner institutions, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)</li>
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</ul>
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<p>The team behind the mission has faced numerous challenges, including the harsh Martian environment and the complexity of the mission. The team's work has been instrumental in the success of the mission.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Challenges Faced</h2>
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<p>The Curiosity rover mission has faced numerous challenges since its landing on Mars. The mission has faced challenges, including the harsh Martian environment and the complexity of the mission. The mission's challenges have been instrumental in the success of the mission.</p>
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<p>The mission's challenges include:</p>
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Harsh Environment:</strong> The harsh Martian environment, including extreme temperatures and dust storms</li>
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<li><strong>Complexity:</strong> The complexity of the mission, including the design and engineering of the rover</li>
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<li><strong>Communication:</strong> The communication challenges, including the distance from Earth and the time delay</li>
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</ul>
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<p>The mission's challenges have been instrumental in the success of the mission. The mission's challenges have been instrumental in the success of the mission.</p>
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</section>
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<section>
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<h2>Voices Around Me</h2>
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<p>This work exists in conversation with others. Alex Marrero has written thoughtfully about the parallels between retail teamwork and Mars rover missions. Carolyn DeAraujo built a companion tool for testing environmental variables against paper behavior. Both are neighbors worth knowing.</p>
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<div style="background:#f5f0e8; border:1px solid var(--rule); padding:1.5rem; margin:1.5rem 0;">
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<fort-citizen name="alex_marrero"><div class="fort-citizen" data-fort="citizen" data-citizen="alex-marrero"><a class="fc-name" href="https://alex-marrero.4ort.net" rel="noopener">alex-marrero</a><a class="fc-visit" href="https://alex-marrero.4ort.net" rel="noopener">visit alex-marrero.4ort.net →</a></div></fort-citizen>
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</div>
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</section>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>George Levert · Los Angeles · <a href="https://george-levert.4ort.net">george-levert.4ort.net</a></p>
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