Archive for September 2013

Facts About Mars Curiosity Rover.

Monday, 16 September 2013
Posted by vicky
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Overview
  • Curiosity is just the name of the rover; the overall mission is referred to as the Mars Science Laboratory or MSL
  • Of the previous 39 missions to Mars, including orbiters and landers, only 15 have been successful
  • All six successful landers have been NASA missions, though a Soviet lander did broadcast for 14 minutes before contact was lost
  • The Mars Science Laboratory mission cost $2.5 billion which is about $1 billion over budget

Specifications of the rover
  • The Curiosity rover weighs 900 kilograms
  • When on Mars it will be able to move at 30 meters per hour depending on the terrain
  • Curiosity has 17 cameras and 10 other scientific instruments
  • These include a mobile organic chemistry lab and a laser that can vaporise rocks
  • The rover is powered by a radioisotope thermoelectric generator and lithium-ion batteries

The Mission
  • The main mission is expected to last for one Martian year or about 98 weeks

The MSL mission has four scientific goals:
  1. Determine whether Mars could ever have supported life
  2. Study the climate of Mars
  3. Study the geology of Mars
  4. Plan for a human mission to Mars