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By NASA
Curiosity Navigation Curiosity Home Mission Overview Where is Curiosity? Mission Updates Science Overview Instruments Highlights Exploration Goals News and Features Multimedia Curiosity Raw Images Images Videos Audio Mosaics More Resources Mars Missions Mars Sample Return Mars Perseverance Rover Mars Curiosity Rover MAVEN Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Odyssey More Mars Missions 2 min read
Sols 4454-4457: Getting Ready to Fill the Long Weekend with Science
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity acquired this image, which includes the pyramid-shaped rock at left in the photo, the science target dubbed “Pyramid Lake,” using its Left Navigation Camera. The rover acquired the image on sol 4452, or Martian day 4,452 of the Mars Science Laboratory mission, on Feb. 13, 2025, at 14:22:06 UTC. NASA/JPL-Caltech Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 14, 2025
Curiosity is continuing to make progress along the strategic route, traversing laterally across the sulfate (salt) bearing unit toward the boxwork structures. The team celebrated the completion of another successful drive when we received the downlink this morning, and then we immediately got to work thinking about what’s next. There is a holiday in the United States on Monday, so instead of the typical three-sol weekend plan, we actually planned four sols, which will set us up to return to planning next Tuesday.
The first sol of the plan focuses on remote sensing, and we’ll be taking several small Mastcam mosaics of features around the rover. One of my favorite targets the team picked is a delightfully pointy rock visible toward the left of the Navcam image shown above. The color images we’ll take with Mastcam will give us more information about the textures of this rock and potentially provide insight into the geologic forces that transformed it into this comical shape. The team chose what I think is a very appropriate name for this Martian pyramid-shaped target — “Pyramid Lake.” The terrestrial inspiration behind this name is a human-made reservoir (lake) near Los Angeles with a big (also human-made) pyramidal hill in it.
On the second sol of the plan, we’ll use the instruments on Curiosity’s arm to collect data of rock targets at our feet, including “Strawberry Peak,” a bumpy piece of bedrock, “Lake Arrowhead,” a smooth piece of bedrock, and “Skyline Trail,” a dark float rock. ChemCam will also collect chemical data of Skyline Trail, “Big Tujunga” — which is similar to Strawberry Peak — and “Momyer.” We’ll also take the first part of a 360-degree color mosaic with Mastcam!
In the third sol of the plan, we’ll complete the 360-degree mosaic and continue driving to the southwest along our strategic route. The fourth sol is pretty quiet, with some atmospheric observations and a ChemCam AEGIS. Atmospheric observations are additionally sprinkled throughout other sols of the plan. This time of year we are particularly interested in studying the clouds above Gale crater!
I’m looking forward to the nice long weekend, and returning on Tuesday morning to see everything Curiosity accomplished.
Written by Abigail Fraeman, Planetary Geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Last Updated Feb 17, 2025 Related Terms
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Credit: NASA In an effort to grow new commercial markets that support the future of space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research, NASA is preparing to relaunch its Mentor-Protégé Program for contractors on Friday, Nov. 1.
The program originally was launched to encourage NASA prime contractors, or mentors, to enter into agreements with eligible small businesses, or protégés. These agreements were created to enhance the protégés’ performance on NASA contracts and subcontracts, foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between small businesses and NASA prime contractors, and increase the overall number of small businesses that receive NASA contracts and subcontract awards.
“The NASA Mentor-Protégé Program is a critical enabling tool that allows experienced companies to provide business developmental assistance to emerging firms,” said Dwight Deneal, assistant administrator for NASA’s Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP). “The program enables NASA to expand its industrial base of suppliers, as prime and subcontractors, to assist in executing the mission and programs throughout the agency.”
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To provide more information about the program and its relaunch, OSBP will host an online lunch and learn event on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 1:00 p.m. EST. The event is open to all current and potential mentors and protégés who want to learn more about changes in the program, qualifications to participate, and how to apply.
“We are excited about rolling out the enhanced NASA Mentor-Protégé Program,” said David Brock, lead small business specialist for OSBP. “The program’s new focus will allow large businesses to mentor smaller firms in key areas that align with NASA’s mission and opportunities within the agency’s supply chain.”
One key change expands eligibility to all small businesses, in addition to minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Ability One entities. This expansion enables the program to support an inclusive environment for more small businesses and underserved communities to interact with NASA and its contractors.
The program also will focus on engaging businesses within a select number of North American Industry Classifications System (NAICS) codes and specific industry sectors, such as research and development and aerospace manufacturing. These adjustments will allow the program to better support NASA’s long-term strategic goals and mission success.
The program is designed to benefit both the mentor and the protégé by fostering productive networking and contract opportunities. In a mentor-protégé agreement, mentors build relationships with small businesses, developing a subcontracting base and accruing credit toward their small business subcontracting goals. In addition, protégés receive technical and developmental assistance while also gaining sole-source contracts from mentors and additional contracting opportunities.
NASA is responsible for the administration and management of each agreement. The OSBP oversees the program and conducts semi-annual performance reviews to monitor progress and accomplishments made as a result of the mentor-protégé agreement.
To apply to be a mentor, companies must be a current NASA prime contractor with an approved small business contracting plan. Companies also must be eligible for the receipt of government contracts and be categorized under certain NAICS codes. Potential protégés must certify as a small business within NAICS size standards.
Find more information about participating in NASA’s Mentor-Protégé Program at:
https://www.nasa.gov/osbp/mentor-protege-program
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Last Updated Oct 29, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) NASA Headquarters View the full article
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