Unmanned NASA missions on July 2, 2009, showing a region in the lunar highlands south of Mare Nubium ("Sea of Clouds"). Launched on June 18, 2009, in conjunction with the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), as the vanguard of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program, this is the first United States mission to the Moon in over ten years. LRO and LCROSS are the first missions launched as part of the United States's Vision for Space Exploration program. Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a NASA mission to land and operate a rover named "Curiosity" on the surface of Mars. It was launched
Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory atmosphere. This creates wind, which in turn stirs up more dust. This results in a feedback loop that scientists are still trying to understand. NASA reported on June 20, 2018 that the dust storm had grown to completely cover the entire planet. On June 4, 2018, NASA announced that "Curiosity" ability to drill has been sufficiently restored by engineers. The rover had experienced drill mechanical problems since December 2016. On June 7, 2018, NASA announced a cyclical seasonal variation in atmospheric methane, as well as the presence of kerogen and other complex organic compounds. The organic compounds were from mudstone