Mars Curiosity Rover is one of NASA's most ambitious projects, hailed as an optimal feat of science and engineering. Far overreaching its 2-year mission, Curiosity analyzes soil, rocks and potential for past and future life.
Launched from the Kennedy Space Center in 2011, Curiosity travels through the frigid dark of space to land on Mars August 2012. Its mission is focused on Gale Crater, a basin profuse in geological history.
Curiosity seeks to uncover the mysteries of Mars, including possibility of ancient life. Curiosity's primary goal is to determine whether Mars ever had an environment able to support microbial existence.
Its information revolutionizes human understanding of the Red Planet. As it assesses the planet's potential for future human exploration, its findings are critical for long-term plans to send people to Mars.
Initially, Curiosity is not expected to last longer than two years. The Rover has now labored continuously for over a dozen years, and is still going strong.
Design and Features
Curiosity is a technologically advanced rover. It weighs about 899 kg (1982 lbs) and measures 3 m (9'10") in length. It stands to a height of 2.1 m (7 ft).
It includes six wheels, a robotic arm and a multitude of scientific instruments. Unlike its predecessors, Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity uses a sophisticated design with nuclear power source.
This enables it to operate for extended periods. Distance, night and Martian dust storms make solar power problematic. Sandstorms can last weeks and cover areas the size of continents.
Notable features include:
Wheels: Curiosity's wheels are specially designed to traverse Mars' rocky terrain. They are made of aluminum and have curved titanium spokes for added traction. A full turn of the wheels drives Curiosity 1.65 m (5.4 ft).
The Rover covers about 150 m/day (492 ft).
Nuclear-powered generator: The Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) uses the heat generated by the natural radioactive decay of plutonium-238 to produce electricity, so Curiosity can operate in the unforgiving Martian environment.
Robotic arm: The 7-foot-long (2.1 m) robotic arm weighs 101 kg (223 lb). It's equipped with tools, such as drill, spectrometer and camera. They help Curiosity investigate chemical composition and structure of Martian rocks and soil.
Scientific instruments
ChemCam: A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument that vaporizes rocks and soil to analyze their composition. For example, Curiosity has investigated clay minerals and sulfates, indicating past water activity, which is crucial for understanding the planet's ability to support life.
Mastcam: High-resolution cameras capture color images and videos of Mars' surface.
Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI): A camera mounted on the rover's arm provides close-up images of Martian rocks and soil.
CheMin: An X-ray diffraction and fluorescence instrument identifies the minerals present in rock and soil samples.
SAM: A suite of instruments that analyzes the organic and inorganic constituents of rock and soil samples, searching for signs of past or present life.
RAD and DAN: Radiation assessment detector and dynamic aluminum neutron-activated analysis, which study the radiation environment on Mars and its subsurface water activity, respectively. Mars astronauts are subject to radiation over 200x that of Earth.
Significant Discoveries and Achievements
Throughout its time on Mars, Curiosity has made several groundbreaking discoveries, providing invaluable insights into the planet's geology, climate, and potential for past life.
Gale Crater and Mount Sharp: Curiosity traverses Gale Crater, which was filled with water billions of years ago. It's now an extensive dry lakebed.
Curiosity finds evidence of water flow and minerals. Eons ago a variety of wet conditions exist in the region.
Mount Sharp is a 3.4-mile-high (5.5 km) mountain in the center of the crater. It contains layers of sediment with clues about Mars' environmental history.
Organic molecules: Curiosity finds organic molecules in Martian rocks and soil. The molecules may be the result of life, or non-biological processes.
Seasonal methane: Curiosity observes seasonal variations in methane levels, suggesting the existence of a reservoir of methane trapped beneath the Martian surface or periodically released from the planet's interior.
Radiation levels: Curiosity's radiation measurements have provided crucial data for future human exploration of Mars, informing scientists about the risks associated with long-term exposure to Martian radiation.
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