Source: Mars Curiosity on Foursquare | Official Foursqure AccountAfter posting tweets regularly, NASA’s most digital savvy rover, Curiosity, is now the first Foursquare user to check in on Mars.
The rover made its first check-in yesterday at the Gale Crater. This is where Curiosity first landed on the night of August 5. It is on the equator of Mars and is home to the 3-mile high Mount Sharp. It is also the rover’s primary target, as it holds billions of years of Martian history.
Because Curiosity is the first to post from Mars, the rover will share updates and tips regularly for the benefit of future space tourists. According to Stephanie Smith, part of Curiosity’s social media team:
Like any great tip you want to share back home, so that is why the rover is sharing check-ins and tips from her amazing trip.
What Lies Ahead for Curiosity
At the moment, Curiosity checked in on the Gale Crater twice yesterday. One more to go and it will become the mayor of Gale Crater. In case that happened, NASA social media manager Veronica McGregor said that it is something that the rover deserves. Aside from the check-in, the rover also shared a tip on how people can weight less:
Wish you weighed less? Visit the Red Planet. Because Mars is so much smaller, its gravity makes you weigh only 3/8 [of] what you do on Earth.
The rover’s next check-in will be from Rocknest. It is another point within the Gale Crater, wherein the Curiosity will park for the next two weeks to conduct a couple of experiments. As stated by McGregor:
We’ll start getting to more specific locations within the crater. We may not do daily check-ins for each drive, but we will be able to do check-ins and tips for locations after we name them.
As always, the Foursquare tips coming from Curiosity will be a mix of science and humor. That is according to Courtney O’Connor, NASA’s social media specialist:
We’re having fun with these tips. We have to consider things like atmosphere, temperature, and things we don’t normally think about on Earth. We have to put ourselves into her point of view. You have to get into character.
NASA’s Mars Curiosity will continue to check in and tips throughout her 23-month expedition. For more tips and updates on the Red Planet, users are free to follow the rover’s official Foursquare account.
