Clearer Mars images from Curiosity coming soon, NASA says

Mars enthusiasts underwhelmed by some of the first dusty images of the planetto bebeamed back to Earth by the Curiosity rover that landed there on Sunday were reassured by NASA Tuesday that more stunning photos will be coming over the next few days asthe mobile science laboratory robot unfurls its mast and tests its instruments.

"I'm sure that there will be lots of surprises as we continue," said Mike Watkins, NASA's mission manager, at a press conference at the space agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)in Pasadena, Calif.

Curiosity, which landed on Mars Sundaynight Pacific Time,is scheduled to raise its mast Wednesday, and that will open upmore of the 17cameras the robot is carrying.

Some of the newimages willarriveasthumbnails at first, but full resolutionphotos will be on their way a week later, NASA said.

Orbiter images show discarded heat shield, parachute

NASA scientists on Tuesday showed reporters an image taken during Curiosity's landing by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been orbiting and studying Mars since 2006, that reveals wherethe rover landed in relation to its parachute and the other components it shed duringits high-speed landing.

Theblack-and-white image taken by the orbiter's High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera shows the discarded heat shield, parachute, sky crane and back shell lying on the Mars surface.

It also shows the dust tracks made by the rover on impact that along with the geographic information transmitted by the rover itself helped NASA confirm its position.

"By looking at these dusk streaks, we can determine what position Curiosity is [at], and we have knowledge from [Curiosity itself], and this matches up perfectly," said Sarah Milkovich, a scientist who works with the orbiter.

Dust will settle, NASA assures

NASA officials conceded on Tuesdaythat thefirst colour imageof Mars's surfacesnapped by Curiosity wasn't that clearbut said theyexpect the dust stormthe roverkicked up on landing will eventually settle, allowing it to take better images.

The Martian dust generated during landing obscured the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), the camera on Curiosity that gives a front-seat view from the space vehicle.

Thankfully, Edgett said, what the dustactually covered is not the camera but the dust covers that were placed over the MAHLI camera.

"One of the scientists said, 'Looks like the dust covers did what they were supposed to do'," Edgett joked.

Once the covers are opened, people can expect to see full landscape pictures from the MAHLI camera.

Instrument check

The next step for Curiosity is to undergo a check-up to make surethe10 sophisticated scientific instrumentsit is carrying were not damaged during the landing and arefunctioning well within Mars's gravitational field.

Many of these instruments will come to life overthe first 10 sols, or Martian days, of the rover's two-year mission, asCuriosity begins exploring its surroundings.

"It works. It's awesome, and I can't wait to see whatever it is we can see," said Ken Edgett, a geologist with the San Diego-based Malin Space Science Systems, who has worked on Curiosity's design system.

It is during the initial commissioning phase that Curiosity will take its first drive around the planet, starting slow and eventuallyaccelerating and exploring theGale craterand beyond.