Death Valley used as stand-in for Martian landscape (+video)
A project scientist for NASA's huge Curiosity rover is leading a handful of journalists on a trip to Death Valley, whose geology and vistas resemble Mars in some places. The goal is to help reporters get a better idea of the science Curiosity will be doing when it touches down on the Red Planet on the night of Aug. 5.
Pasadena, Calif.
The chief scientist for NASA's newest Mars rover mission is heading to Death Valley today (April 30), and SPACE.com is going along for the ride.
Caltech's John Grotzinger, project scientist for NASA's huge Curiosity rover, is leading a handful of journalists on a two-day trip to the famous patch of California desert, whose geology and vistas are remarkably Mars-like in some places.
The goal is to help reporters get a better idea of the science Curiosity will be doing when it touches down on the Red Planet on the night of Aug. 5.
We depart from the Caltech campus here at 8 a.m. local time (11 a.m. EDT; 1500 GMT) today, and should roll into Death Valley about four hours later. Unlike frigid Mars, Death Valley will be hot for the next couple of days; we've been told to bring sunscreen, wide-brim hats and lots of water.
