Abigail Fraeman
@abbyfrae.bsky.social
Planetary scientist. Deputy Project Scientist for Curiosity and (formerly) Opportunity Mars rovers. Muppet aficionado. Views and opinions my own. She/her.
www.nasa.gov/missions/mar...
Our JPL engineers continue to blow my mind with their talent. Squeezing every drop of science out of our wonderful rover that we can!
(h/t to @dougellison.bsky.social for making my late night request to acquire this Navcam postcard a reality. The view was too good!)
Our JPL engineers continue to blow my mind with their talent. Squeezing every drop of science out of our wonderful rover that we can!
(h/t to @dougellison.bsky.social for making my late night request to acquire this Navcam postcard a reality. The view was too good!)
Marking 13 Years on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity Picks Up New Skills - NASA
New capabilities allow the rover to do science with less energy from its batteries.
www.nasa.gov
August 4, 2025 at 6:50 PM
www.nasa.gov/missions/mar...
Our JPL engineers continue to blow my mind with their talent. Squeezing every drop of science out of our wonderful rover that we can!
(h/t to @dougellison.bsky.social for making my late night request to acquire this Navcam postcard a reality. The view was too good!)
Our JPL engineers continue to blow my mind with their talent. Squeezing every drop of science out of our wonderful rover that we can!
(h/t to @dougellison.bsky.social for making my late night request to acquire this Navcam postcard a reality. The view was too good!)
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
The Curiosity rover is sending back some jaw-droppingly gorgeous views from Mars right now... Well done everyone on the camera teams|! Just look at this glorious detail and lighting...! Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson
June 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM
The Curiosity rover is sending back some jaw-droppingly gorgeous views from Mars right now... Well done everyone on the camera teams|! Just look at this glorious detail and lighting...! Images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk/S Atkinson
Can't stop staring at these new views of crazy yardang unit!!! (The light colored cliffs that are furthest away)
Nice shots captured by Curiosity, looking up the cliffs south of the rover
#Mars May 25, 2025 - Sol 4550
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk 🧪🔭
#Mars May 25, 2025 - Sol 4550
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk 🧪🔭
May 28, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Can't stop staring at these new views of crazy yardang unit!!! (The light colored cliffs that are furthest away)
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
Stunning late afternoon view of the lower boxworks from the Mars Curiosity Rover, taken with MastCam on Sol 4547.
flic.kr/p/2r6v3t3
flic.kr/p/2r6v3t3
May 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Stunning late afternoon view of the lower boxworks from the Mars Curiosity Rover, taken with MastCam on Sol 4547.
flic.kr/p/2r6v3t3
flic.kr/p/2r6v3t3
Monday moment of zen: Photos from last Saturday's hike to Trail Canyon Falls, just a 30 min drive from Pasadena.
There were not many people out during the late afternoon on that drizzly day, and we ended up having the falls all to ourselves. Pure magic.
There were not many people out during the late afternoon on that drizzly day, and we ended up having the falls all to ourselves. Pure magic.
May 20, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Monday moment of zen: Photos from last Saturday's hike to Trail Canyon Falls, just a 30 min drive from Pasadena.
There were not many people out during the late afternoon on that drizzly day, and we ended up having the falls all to ourselves. Pure magic.
There were not many people out during the late afternoon on that drizzly day, and we ended up having the falls all to ourselves. Pure magic.
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
The boxwork structure captured by Curiosity's navigation camera earlier today
#Mars May 16, 2025 - Sol 4541 🧪🔭
Credit images: NASA/JPL-Caltech
#Mars May 16, 2025 - Sol 4541 🧪🔭
Credit images: NASA/JPL-Caltech
May 16, 2025 at 6:36 PM
The boxwork structure captured by Curiosity's navigation camera earlier today
#Mars May 16, 2025 - Sol 4541 🧪🔭
Credit images: NASA/JPL-Caltech
#Mars May 16, 2025 - Sol 4541 🧪🔭
Credit images: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
Light finds a way through. #photography
May 2, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Light finds a way through. #photography
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
Proposed NASA cuts in context, courtesy of the Planetary Society #astronomy #science
May 2, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Proposed NASA cuts in context, courtesy of the Planetary Society #astronomy #science
Really proud of this.
Amazing detective work lead by the brilliant Ben Tutolo, made possible by the entire Curiosity Mars Rover team.
Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Amazing detective work lead by the brilliant Ben Tutolo, made possible by the entire Curiosity Mars Rover team.
Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
April 18, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Really proud of this.
Amazing detective work lead by the brilliant Ben Tutolo, made possible by the entire Curiosity Mars Rover team.
Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Amazing detective work lead by the brilliant Ben Tutolo, made possible by the entire Curiosity Mars Rover team.
Paper: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Perspective: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Beautiful early morning light on Mars
MSL 4505 MR © NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/NeV-T
Gigapan - www.gigapan.com/gigapans/237...
GIGAmacro - viewer.gigamacro.com/view/D84X60g...
Gigapan Website - www.nev-t-gigamacros.com
#Mars #science #NASA
Gigapan - www.gigapan.com/gigapans/237...
GIGAmacro - viewer.gigamacro.com/view/D84X60g...
Gigapan Website - www.nev-t-gigamacros.com
#Mars #science #NASA
April 10, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Beautiful early morning light on Mars
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
Alors que la situation sur Terre n'est pas des plus paisibles, le rover Curiosity poursuit son exploration du cratère Gale.
Cette sublime vue a été assemblée à partir d'images acquises hier, à 7h heure martienne. A droite s'élève Gould Mesa, haute de 30 m.
© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Thomas Appéré
Cette sublime vue a été assemblée à partir d'images acquises hier, à 7h heure martienne. A droite s'élève Gould Mesa, haute de 30 m.
© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Thomas Appéré
April 9, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Alors que la situation sur Terre n'est pas des plus paisibles, le rover Curiosity poursuit son exploration du cratère Gale.
Cette sublime vue a été assemblée à partir d'images acquises hier, à 7h heure martienne. A droite s'élève Gould Mesa, haute de 30 m.
© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Thomas Appéré
Cette sublime vue a été assemblée à partir d'images acquises hier, à 7h heure martienne. A droite s'élève Gould Mesa, haute de 30 m.
© NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Thomas Appéré
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
Sometimes it's "safe travels" and sometimes it's Ed Abbey: "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view."
Gale Crater, Mars, on Tuesday.
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
Gale Crater, Mars, on Tuesday.
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
April 3, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Sometimes it's "safe travels" and sometimes it's Ed Abbey: "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view."
Gale Crater, Mars, on Tuesday.
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
Gale Crater, Mars, on Tuesday.
science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-...
Emily said it perfectly.
Word. I wasn't sure what #LPSC2025 would be like. Some people were missing because of yanked funding or because they didn't feel safe traveling to Texas. Many don't know if they'll have jobs, or even missions, in a year. But the science was SO GOOD, and people had a fierce joy about that.
March 14, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Emily said it perfectly.
In love with this new photo from the Hera spacecraft showing the "backside" of Deimos aka weird little space potato full of mystery!
What would Deimos look like to an astronaut in space around Mars? None of Hera's instruments are equivalent to the naked human eye, but here is the science team's first attempt. The 'saddle' between two peaks of Deimos shows up as a shadow
March 13, 2025 at 7:06 PM
In love with this new photo from the Hera spacecraft showing the "backside" of Deimos aka weird little space potato full of mystery!
Early morning light illuminating the hills of Mt. Sharp's sulfate unit. Imaged last week by Curiosity.
Just past sunrise on Sol 4476, the Mars Curiosity Rover used MastCam to take a large mosaic of the surroundings. Here’s my favorite part, looking towards the future drive path and boxworks.
flic.kr/p/2qRrYD1
flic.kr/p/2qRrYD1
March 13, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Early morning light illuminating the hills of Mt. Sharp's sulfate unit. Imaged last week by Curiosity.
So obsessed with the amazing friendship bracelet @elakdawalla.bsky.social handed me during yesterday's poster session at #LPSC2025. Do you see the six hematite rover wheels? Eeeee!!!! <3
March 12, 2025 at 10:20 PM
So obsessed with the amazing friendship bracelet @elakdawalla.bsky.social handed me during yesterday's poster session at #LPSC2025. Do you see the six hematite rover wheels? Eeeee!!!! <3
THIS IS SO COOL
With #LPSC2025 about to start, it's time to share what I've been working on during the last months and will be presenting at the conference.
This is a new high resolution 3D model of the Mont Mercou outcrop in Gale crater, that I made during my recent internship at LPG Nantes. #planetsci 🧵
This is a new high resolution 3D model of the Mont Mercou outcrop in Gale crater, that I made during my recent internship at LPG Nantes. #planetsci 🧵
March 10, 2025 at 3:55 AM
THIS IS SO COOL
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
There are reports that the WH plans to cut NASA's science budget by 50%. This would devastate space science for generations. There is no "oopsie undo" button for such a cut. There are no private or commercial paths to replacing this support. Our space science research capacity would simply be lost.
The Planetary Society: reported cuts to NASA would amount to an…
The Planetary Society, the world’s largest independent space interest organization, issued a statement in response to recent reports that the White House…
www.planetary.org
March 7, 2025 at 5:44 PM
There are reports that the WH plans to cut NASA's science budget by 50%. This would devastate space science for generations. There is no "oopsie undo" button for such a cut. There are no private or commercial paths to replacing this support. Our space science research capacity would simply be lost.
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
The Lunar Trailblazer orbiter's launch window opens Feb 26. It's catching a ride with Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission which is landing on the moon near the south pole. Both have instruments for looking for water.
Lunar Trailblazer sets out to find water on the moon
The Lunar Trailblazer orbiter's launch window opens Feb 26. It's catching a ride with Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission which is landing on the moon near the south pole. Both have instruments for lookin...
www.npr.org
February 26, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The Lunar Trailblazer orbiter's launch window opens Feb 26. It's catching a ride with Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission which is landing on the moon near the south pole. Both have instruments for looking for water.
Elena and I are so excited for @lunartrailblazer.bsky.social launch :D
If weather / systems / everything stay nominal:
Livestream: www.nasa.gov/live/
4:16pm PT – Launch
~5:04pm PT – Separation of Lunar Trailblazer
~5:15p PT – End of livestream
If weather / systems / everything stay nominal:
Livestream: www.nasa.gov/live/
4:16pm PT – Launch
~5:04pm PT – Separation of Lunar Trailblazer
~5:15p PT – End of livestream
February 26, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Elena and I are so excited for @lunartrailblazer.bsky.social launch :D
If weather / systems / everything stay nominal:
Livestream: www.nasa.gov/live/
4:16pm PT – Launch
~5:04pm PT – Separation of Lunar Trailblazer
~5:15p PT – End of livestream
If weather / systems / everything stay nominal:
Livestream: www.nasa.gov/live/
4:16pm PT – Launch
~5:04pm PT – Separation of Lunar Trailblazer
~5:15p PT – End of livestream
In good news... LET'S GO!!! Pumped for these mission!!! (Especially @lunartrailblazer.bsky.social !!!)
Big week at JPL! Two launches! Lunar Trailblazer, a lunar orbiter with powerful eyes to detect lunar water -- launching with IM-2 on Wed. SPHEREx, a cutting edge astrophysics mission, mapping millions of galaxies with over 100 colors of infrared light to explore our cosmic beginnings. Launching Fri!
February 25, 2025 at 11:33 PM
In good news... LET'S GO!!! Pumped for these mission!!! (Especially @lunartrailblazer.bsky.social !!!)
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
“Pyramid Lake”, a Martian pyramid-shaped rock captured by the Curiosity rover.
More insights in this post by @abbyfrae.bsky.social
science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-44...
#Mars Feb. 15, 2025 (Sol 4454) 🔭🧪
Credits images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk
More insights in this post by @abbyfrae.bsky.social
science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-44...
#Mars Feb. 15, 2025 (Sol 4454) 🔭🧪
Credits images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk
February 17, 2025 at 1:14 PM
“Pyramid Lake”, a Martian pyramid-shaped rock captured by the Curiosity rover.
More insights in this post by @abbyfrae.bsky.social
science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-44...
#Mars Feb. 15, 2025 (Sol 4454) 🔭🧪
Credits images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk
More insights in this post by @abbyfrae.bsky.social
science.nasa.gov/blog/sols-44...
#Mars Feb. 15, 2025 (Sol 4454) 🔭🧪
Credits images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/fredk
Reposted by Abigail Fraeman
A portion of the cliff of Wilkerson Butte, imaged using MastCam on Sol 4450 by the Mars Curiosity Rover.
flic.kr/p/2qLxCYy
flic.kr/p/2qLxCYy
February 13, 2025 at 6:17 PM
A portion of the cliff of Wilkerson Butte, imaged using MastCam on Sol 4450 by the Mars Curiosity Rover.
flic.kr/p/2qLxCYy
flic.kr/p/2qLxCYy
YES TO ALL THIS 🥂
Launch window opens Feb 26!
Launch window opens Feb 26!
On the eve of International Day of Women in Science, @lunartrailblazer.bsky.social, cleared the last hurdle before launch. Our PI, Dr. Bethany Ehlmann, has worked harder than I've ever seen anyone work before to bring this mission to life. So cheers to her, and Lunar Trailblazer. To the Moon!
February 13, 2025 at 2:41 AM
YES TO ALL THIS 🥂
Launch window opens Feb 26!
Launch window opens Feb 26!