Post by glactus on Jun 16, 2011 3:32:48 GMT
The Curiosity rover
NASA scientists will soon brush the dust off some Martian rocks that are practically bursting their seams to give their lively account of the red planet's past. The Mars Science Lab -- aptly named "Curiosity" -- is heading up there in 2011 to read the diary of Mars.
Above: An artist's concept of Curiosity vaporizing a patch of rock for analysis.
The small, car-sized rover will ramble about on the rocky surface, gizmos at full tilt, not only brushing dust off rocks but also vaporizing them with a laser beam, gathering samples to analyze on the spot, taking high resolution photographs, and more.
This artist's concept compares Curiosity (left) to Spirit (right).
"Curiosity will be prospecting for organic molecules, the chemical building blocks of life," says Joy Crisp of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We want to find out whether Mars' environment was, or still is, capable of harboring life."
Curiosity will be the first red planet rover since Spirit and Opportunity. Though it would be hard to match the twins' toughness, Curiosity will have a much greater range, more instruments, and a bigger, stronger robotic arm. It will be nuclear powered instead of solar, so there will be no worries about dust on solar panels causing energy supplies to plummet. It will have much more power, and more consistently.
Looking at Mars
Credits: These are NASA/JPL images
Text by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Telescope in avatar:Meade 16" LX 200