NASA's Mars Rover Curiosity released an amazing photo of
herself, and NASA said the climb up and around Mt. Sharp, meant
to begin December 31, will begin in February. Then NASA said
Curiosity's two-year operating limit had been extended
indefinitely. Curiosity spent several extra days at a couple of
earlier points of investigation, making the previously planned
start date problematical. As an AP reporter put it, "Since
captivating the world with its acrobatic landing, the Mars rover
has fallen into a rhythm: Drive, snap pictures, zap at boulders,
scoop up dirt. Repeat." Sometimes, that series has been repeated
several times more than anticipated, and the business of
analysis has taken longer than originally expected. In fact,
there remains one additional similar science set to perform,
including drilling into (instead of "zapping") a rock with a
sort of hammer drill, and analyzing material from deeper in the
rock than weathering has affected it. Once that task is
complete, Curiosity will begin her trek up thr