WUSTL grads play key roles in NASA rover missions to Mars
Despite its midwest location, far away from massive
NASA mission control centers in Cape Canaveral, Fla., or Pasadena,
Calif., WUSTL can boast at least seven
graduates (and one current student) now making key contributions to
NASA’s latest mission to Mars, “Curiosity.”
Ray Arvidson offers updates on Mars rover missions
With all the fanfare about Mars rover Curiosity landing safely on the Red Planet on Aug. 6, it’s easy to forget that there’s already a rover on Mars — an older, smaller cousin set to accomplish a feat unprecedented in the history of Solar System exploration. WUSTL’s Raymond E. Arvidson is playing key roles in both Mars missions.
Sand-trapped Mars Rover makes big discovery, WUSTL researcher reports
NASA’s robotic rover Spirit, bogged down in the loose soil of a Red Planet crater for months, has helped make an important scientific discovery just by spinning its wheels. “We’ve found something supremely interesting in the disturbed soil,” says WUSTL’s Raymond Arvidson, deputy principal scientist on the mission. Sulfate minerals churned up by the rover’s wheels offer evidence that this area “could have once supported life,” he explains.
News coverage spotlights WUSTL’s role in Mars exploration
Courtesy NASA/JPL/CornellArtist’s rendition of the rover on Mars.Washington University faculty, staff and students are making critical contributions to the success of NASA’s ongoing rover mission to Mars. Visit here for links to the latest news on the 2004 Mars Rover Mission, as well as background on other Mars-related research at Washington University.