Planetary scientist. Deputy Project Scientist for Curiosity and (formerly) Opportunity Mars rovers. Muppet aficionado. Views and opinions my own. She/her.
Pasadena, CA
Joined November 2014
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Abigail Fraeman retweeted
Excited to share the finding of a special Martian meteorite, Teghaza 001
A Martian meteorite that formed ≳4.1 billion years ago samples Mars’ early crust and mantle | Science science.org/doi/10.1126/scie…
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
[Press Release]
Completion of the Initial Critical Operations Phase of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) Spacecraft
#JAXA
global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/10…
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
The many moods of MMX, from JAXA's imagery archive.
ALT Illustrations of the mascot for JAXA's Martian Moon eXploration (MMX) mission showing moods such as "laugh", "sad", and "persevere".
Celebrating a successful MMX launch with sunrise sake! Congratulations to @JAXA_en on a spectacular achievement, and thank you so much for the hospitality and opportunity to participate in this incredibly exciting mission! I can’t wait to see what we learn. 🚀🥔
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Martian Moons eXploration mission could unlock some of the moons' mysteries and help scientists better understand Mars' history and our own planet. abcnews.link/N4rFIQ7
GO MMX!!!
The H3-24L rocket, carrying the MMX spacecraft, has arrived at the launch pad! 🚀 It can be seen quite clearly from Minamitane Town on Tanegashima 👀 Surrounded by a vivid blue sky and ocean, the MMX mission is just a few hours from liftoff! 💪 #MMXLIFTOFF 10.20 at 04:41:03 JST
ALT The H3 launch vehicle on the launch pad
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Abigail Fraeman retweeted
Are you ready to watch a launch?!
#MMXLIFTOFF 🚀 will be broadcast on the JAXA YouTube, with English interpretation.
The program will begin at 03:45 JST, approximately 55 minutes before the scheduled launch at 04:41:03 JST.
Please join us to watch H3F10 & #MMX head to space!
Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) aboard the H3 Launch Vehicle No. 10 is set to launch on October 20!
Watch the launch live via the link below 🔽
youtube.com/live/Fn6gzuGa-6c
🎥 Activity Report Mini
#MMX #H3F10 #JAXA
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
It's all looking good for #MMXLIFTOFF ! The weather is currently sunny, and the JAXA have made the official announcement for the launch date and time!
H3F10/Martian Moons eXploration (MMX)
October 20, 2026 at 04:41:03 JST
It's finally here. We cannot wait for the launch 🚀.
[Press Release]
Launch time of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft aboard H3 Launch Vehicle Flight No.10
global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/10…
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
Media are invited to join NASA for a teleconference at 4 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Oct. 15, to preview the agency’s contributions to @JAXA_en's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, which will explore the Red Planet's moons and return a sample of Phobos.
go.nasa.gov/4B2qNBI
ALT Illustration of the MMX spacecraft, with its landing legs and solar panels, in space above Mars, with the small moon Phobos nearby. Credit: JAXA
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
Super-duper image from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity looking back at the floor of Gale Crater after setting a mission milestone by reaching 1 km of elevation above the crater floor.
assets.science.nasa.gov/cont…
More: science.nasa.gov/photojourna…
We found some pretty awesome looking rocks with Curiosity last week. More here: science.nasa.gov/blog/curios…
Curiosity in the Gizmodo science fair! gizmodo.com/marss-ancient-cl…
"...it’s over two decades in the making—a success born of the kind of long-term planning and disciplined continuity of capabilities that only big institutions like NASA would probably even bother attempting."
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
Sunrise, sunset 🏜️
To mark Curiosity’s 5,000th Martian day on the Red Planet, the rover’s team created this postcard. It combines two panoramas, with blue colors representing images taken in the morning, and yellow colors for the images taken at dusk. 1/2
ALT A panoramic view of a rocky desert landscape. Hills of layered rock stand in the background. The image has two predominant colors: blue tones for the portions of the image captured in the morning, and warmer tones for the portions captured in the eventing. In the foreground is the back half of a robotic Mars rover, with two of its wheels, its top deck, antennas, and its thermal generator visible. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Love this article by project scientist Ashwin Vasavada describing a day in the life of Curiosity Mars rover science operations!
This mission really is every bit as thrilling and scientifically fulfilling on sol 5,000 as it was on sol 1.
theconversation.com/mars-rov…
At 14 years old, the Curiosity Mars rover is still in her Cover Girl Era.
Congratulations to Scott VanBommel & the whole team on the publications of this outstanding article. science.org/doi/10.1126/scie…
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
The scheduled launch date for the Martian Moons eXploration (#MMX) mission onboard the H3 Launch Vehicle No. 10 has been announced 🚀:
Date: October 20, 2026 (Tues.)
Time: 04:41:03 JST
Site: Yoshinobu Launch Complex, JAXA Tanegashima Space Center
ALT Launch poster for the MMX mission. The poster is white with a large orange circle drawn with a brush in the centre. At the bottom right, there is an image of the MMX spacecraft. The text vertically down the right-hand side reads "2026.10.20 LIFT OFF".
[Press Release]
Launch schedule of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft aboard H3 Launch Vehicle flight No.10 (H3 F10)
global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/08…
Abigail Fraeman retweeted
[Press Release]
Launch schedule of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft aboard H3 Launch Vehicle flight No.10 (H3 F10)
global.jaxa.jp/press/2026/08…
Great photos of MMX. Seeing all this hardware bound for Phobos (and back again) is so exciting to me!!!
20206.8.13種子島宇宙センターで火星衛星探査計画MMXの探査機が報道公開されました。
MMX探査機は往路モジュール。復路モジュール。探査モジュールの３つからなり、往路モジュールだけが分離した状態で公開されました。#nvslive
