NASA has applied new software on the Curiosity Mars rover to give the robotic mission an autonomous targeting feature.

The agency said Thursday Curiosity uses the Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science software from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to choose targets for the laser and telescopic camera components of the rover’s Chemistry and Camera instrument.

Tara Estlin, AEGIS development head at JPL, said the autonomy aids the team’s operations when communication issues lead to information sharing delays between Earth and Mars.

Without automation, Curiosity has to stay in place while ground operators work on laser pointing parameters to help the rover hit small targets.

Curiosity’s ChemCam works to detect the color spectrum of plasmas generated when laser zaps a target and scientists use this information to determine the chemical compositions of targets, NASA said.

AEGIS is designed to analyze images based on scientists’ criteria and aid laser-pointing at targets that are pre-selected by scientists, the space agency noted.

Curiosity investigates geological layers on lower Mount Sharp as part of its mission to analyze evidence on how the surrounding environment changed from conditions that can accommodate microbial life to dry, inhospitable conditions.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has appointed Deputy Chief Accountant Wesley Bricker to the chief accountant role held by James Schnurr on an interim basis as Schnurr recovers from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.

The SEC said Thursday Bricker will serve as the agency’s principal accounting and auditing adviser and also help oversee the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

Bricker will also consult with registrants, auditors and other industry representatives.

“Wes’ expert knowledge, leadership and analytic skills and Jim’s expertise and wealth of experience will continue to provide critical service to investors, companies and the Commission,” said Mary Jo White, SEC chair.

Bricker was appointed deputy chief accountant in 2015 with responsibility for audit and accounting advice to the agency and he also worked with private sector organizations such as FASB.

NASA and Baylor College of Medicine have entered into a potential 12-year, $246 million agreement to establish a research institute that will work to address health risks associated with human spaceflight.

The space agency said Thursday the future NASA Translational Research Institute will work to produce new approaches, treatments, countermeasures or technologies that could aid astronaut health on long-duration space missions such as the Journey to Mars program.

“It’s fitting on the 47th anniversary of humanity’s first moon landing that we’re announcing a new human spaceflight research institute that will help reduce risks for our astronauts on the next giant leap — our Journey to Mars,” said Marshall Porterfield, director of space life and physical sciences research and applications at NASA.

NASA’s Human Research Program will manage the work done at NTRI to establish research leadership in translational human performance as well as biomedical, environmental, cognitive and behavioral science, the agency added.

NASA noted that NTRI will look to employ a “bench to spaceflight” research model to give scientists the opportunity to work with research laboratories within and outside NASA then apply knowledge gleaned from laboratory experiments and clinical trials to address human exploration health and performance.

The California Institute of Technology and Massachusetts Institute of Technology will serve as major subcontractors and perform work at the Texas Medical Center Innovation Institute.

Work under the agreement will begin in October and could extend until September 2028.