According to the news, the scientists and engineers of the NASA Curiosity rover team named a small hill on the path of the rover to express their respect for a deceased scientist. “Mount Rafael Navarro” is 450 feet high.
Rafael Navarro-González passed away on January 28, 2021, from complications of the new Coronavirus. He is an astrobiologist and one of the leaders of the “Mars Sample Analysis” device on Curiosity that aims to study the chemical composition of Martian soil, rocks, and air.
The team led by Navarro Gonzalez analyzed ancient organic matter on Mars, and his achievements also included revealing the role of volcanic lightning in the origin of life on Earth. Gonzalez is a researcher in the School of Nuclear Science at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
According to NASA Curiosity Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada, Mount Rafael Navarro is located in Gale Crater, a major transition from a clay-rich area to a sulfate-rich mineral area. area. The analysis of sulfate minerals helps scientists better understand the changing process of Martian climate from humid to dry.
Vasavada stated, “We believe that Mount Rafael Navarro is an important gateway. It will be in our sight next year and the Curiosity rover will work around it.”
(Via)
