Geologists and Scientists Unite in Exciting Discoveries at 8th International Mars Science Conference

As the 8th International Mars Science Conference takes place on the Caltech campus in Pasadena this week, many scientists from the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) team are in attendance. It was particularly exciting to see that two out of the first three speakers at the conference were colleagues from the USGS Astrogeology team.

Ken Tanaka, the first speaker, presented a new global geologic map of Mars that was distributed to all registered attendees. Ken led the mapping effort that resulted in the publication of this map and received a round of applause for his work. The third speaker, Oleg Abramov, shared his findings from detailed modeling of impact bombardment on early Mars history, suggesting that the planet’s crust may not have been completely melted during that time, potentially leaving habitable environments.

While updates on MSL operations are still being monitored closely, recent project reports indicate that the rover traveled over 82 meters last weekend, with a more limited drive planned for Sol 689 due to rough terrain ahead. Dates for upcoming rover activities outlined in these reports are subject to change based on factors such as the Martian environment, communication relays, and rover status. Despite these challenges, the team continues to work diligently to collect valuable data and explore the Red Planet.