This is the ultimate roll-over for Mars, and the biggest of all too! Yeah, it's the Curiosity or Mars Science Laboratory rover termed the S.U.V of Mars. This giant rover is purposed to roam and research a particular crater and confirm the evidence of water and eventually lead us further to confirm that life once existed on the 'red planet'. It was launched on November 26 and is currently continuing it's 8 and a 1/2 months journey and will reach it's destination by August 2012. It will land in the huge Gale crater where it will dig, drill, analyze and do much more!
This massive rover is driven by six-wheels and the ability to turn in place a full 360 degree as well as the agility to climb steep hills. During it's nearly two year mission after landing, it will investigate for the signs of water and life, including the chemical ingredients of life. It is 10 feet in length and weighs 900 kilograms.
The three generations of wheels!(last one is of Curiosity)
It is almost five times bigger than previous mars rovers. It is powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generator that provides constant power during all seasons day and night. It's heat rejection system uses fluid that is pumped through 60 meters of tubing to keep the rover at optimal temperatures. What more! it has got tonnes of other such instruments to successfully carryout it's research projects!
To contribute to these goals, MSL has six main scientific objectives:
- Determine the mineralogical composition of the Martian surface and near-surface geological materials.
- Attempt to detect chemical building blocks of life (biosignatures).
- Interpret the processes that have formed and modified rocks and soils.
- Assess long-timescale (i.e., 4-billion-year) Martian atmospheric evolution processes.
- Determine present state, distribution, and cycling of water and carbon dioxide.
- Characterize the broad spectrum of surface radiation, including galactic radiation, cosmic radiation, solar proton events and secondary neutrons.
The whole project cost over $235 million!
The Curiosity marks a paradigm shift of the advancing technologies of the 21st century. While earlier rovers used to take photos, scan the surface and bring back samples to earth which was a much dangerous task, Curiosity is designed to all these being on the planet and just needs to send the report data of the research done back to earth. As the world is heading towards a digital age, the curiosity that we had for the red planet has also increased and Curiosity is certainly a tool to help us to satisfy our curiosity!
(Source: Nasa, JPL, Discovery and Space.com)
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