Mars Rover has finally arrived at a long-awaited Martian location

"One of the most difficult climbs the mission has ever faced."
By Mark Stetson and Mark Kaufman  on 
New Mars Discovery
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NASA's six-wheeled robot rumbled to Gediz Vallis Ridge on Mount Sharp, a mountain the rover has slowly climbed since 2014. The ridge is evidence from some 3 billion years ago, when Mars was a wet world, replete with lakes and roaring rivers. Back then, colossal debris flows hurled mud and car-sized boulders down the mountain; eons of the whistling Martian wind then chiseled away at this material, leaving the Gediz Vallis Ridge.

Topics NASA

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Mark Kaufman

Mark is an award-winning journalist and the science editor at Mashable. After working as a ranger with the National Park Service, he started a reporting career after seeing the extraordinary value in educating people about the happenings on Earth, and beyond.

He's descended 2,500 feet into the ocean depths in search of the sixgill shark, ventured into the halls of top R&D laboratories, and interviewed some of the most fascinating scientists in the world.

You can reach Mark at [email protected].


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