Exploring Mars and Climbing Mt. Sharp, by Prof John Bridges

The Curiosity Rover is about to embark on a new phase in its 8 year mission so far. It has reached the lower slopes of Mt. Sharp in Gale Crater where the Sulphate Unit appears.  This is taken to mark the transition from an ancient ‘warm and wet’ climate associated with clay deposits that we have studied, to a more desiccated, cold environment. We hope that studying this transition will help answer one of the great mysteries of Mars.

Prof John Bridges has over 30 years’ experience in planetary science. This includes mineralogical analyses of meteorites and returned samples. He has been part of Mars Science Laboratory (he leads the currently only non-US Participating Scientist team), ExoMars 2022, Trace Gas Orbiter, HiRISE, iMars, Beagle2, Stardust, Hayabusa2 and other missions. One of his main research themes is studying the differentiation and water-rock reactions in the ancient Martian crust.

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