Mars Science Laboratory is the latest part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet. The rover Curiosity landed at Gale Crater, Mars, on August 5, kicking off two years of exploration of the crater floor and a mountain of layered rocks and sediment inside the crater.  We will use the rover's onboard laboratory to study rocks, soils, and the local geologic setting to assess what the Martian environment was like in the past and to assess if it was ever habitable.  For the scientists and engineers operating Curiosity, the first few months of rover operations are an intense marathon of working the Martian night shift. I will present the recent activities and long-term goals of the mission, and discuss how we operate a rover on Mars.

Argonne Physics Division Colloquium Schedule