Finding traces of life on the red planet.
In August 2012, a new robotic Mars rover scheduled to land on the Martian surface. Mission Mars Science Laboratoiy (MSL) rover will drop the car-sized mini-robot named Curiosity it directly to the study site.
Compared with all previous Mars probes, Curiosity is the largest vehicle. However, when juxtaposed with the vehicle on Earth, Curiosity is only for cars minicooper weighing almost a ton, four times the weight of Opportunity and Spirit, two previous explorers. Because of its weight, NASA must develop an entirely new system to send robotic explorers to Mars. To get around the big size of the robot explorers, NASA engineers made a rocket-powered space crane that will be hovering over the red planet. The crane will lower the Curiosity to the planet's surface using a cable. The system is completely new, but engineers are confident the mission that the system will work.
Crane space that would ensure landing point Curiosity is more accurate than previous Mars rover. The size of the craft landing area about 20 x 22 kilometers. When Spirit and Opportunity, two twin explorer, landed on Mars in 2004, they reached the landing area 150 x 80 km.
Increased accuracy provided by sky crane was easier Mars Science Laboratory mission planners to select the landing area. Now they can choose locations based on the research you want done, no longer constrained criterion whether the location is safe and flat.
The mission of U.S. $ 2.5 billion is scheduled to take off using the Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral on next November 25 or December 18, 2011. Curiosity is estimated to arrive at Mars in August 2012. Once setting the wheels on the Martian surface, Curiosity will investigate the planet's landscape with 10 different instruments.
The robot comes with a large robotic arm that can vaporize a stone at a distance of 7 meters, a boring tool, and weather stations. After the mission before ensuring the presence of water on Mars, Curiosity task is much more specific. "Finding organic compounds as a signal if ever there is a 'life on Mars," said John Grotzinger, MSL project scientist at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "This task is very heavy, like looking for needle in a haystack."
Curiosity will collect samples drilled from rocks or shoveling the soil and analyze it in the testing chamber during the 687 days on Mars.
Over the years, more than 150 scientists debated the landing site of the largest U.S. robotic rover that. Of the 30 potential sites are then narrowed down to four and finally two locations, NASA settled on Gale crater, which has mountains as high as 5 kilometers, and get rid of his rival, Eberswalde crater, which has dried up river delta.
"In the end we chose one of the best," said Grotzinger. "There is a possibility it is the highest mountain in the solar system that we can climb using robotic explorers."
Mountains are located within the 154 kilometer wide crater is shaped like a big hill, so the six-wheeled robot that can climb up to half the height of the hill.
Previously, NASA scientists difficulty setting one of two choices, because both have different characteristics. "We are very keen to go anywhere from the second landing site," said Grotzinger. "It's like two different flavors of ice cream, whether you prefer chocolate or vanilla on Mars? So, we are a lot of back and forth in his decision."
Last year, NASA announced that the institution has selected four options Curiosity landing site. In addition to Gale and Eberswalde, the options are considered promising a lot of information about Mars is the Holden crater and a flood channel called Mawrth Vallis. "The four locations were very tempting, to have more evidence of water activity on Mars in ancient times," said Grotzinger.
On Mars, the main task is to conduct an assessment Curiosity whether the planet capable of supporting life on the level of microbes, at least in the past. Probes must be examined immediately point ever flowing water, because the surface of the planet is now dry as a desert.
NASA scientists suspect Eberswalde was an ancient river delta. Although Holden also has much in common with many other features dap trench that is formed when water eroded the surface in the past, NASA it off the list. "Eberswalde has one or two other advantages that make it superior," said Grotzinger.
Mawrth Vallis also eventually frozen out because the researchers are not sure they understand the geological history of the region as they know Gale. "It is difficult to understand the context of what happened there," said Grotzinger. "There are many question marks about the Mawrth Vallis."
Gale Crater is the most superior alternative among the options. A mountain that towered almost 5 kilometers from its center. If Curiosity parachuted into Gale, robotic rover that will collect lots of samples when climbing the mountains, to analyze the various rock layers encountered along the journey.
"The rock is a row of chapters in the history of the evolution of the environment on Mars," said Grotzinger.*** [TJANDRA | SPACE | NASA | KORAN TEMPO 3601]
In August 2012, a new robotic Mars rover scheduled to land on the Martian surface. Mission Mars Science Laboratoiy (MSL) rover will drop the car-sized mini-robot named Curiosity it directly to the study site.
Compared with all previous Mars probes, Curiosity is the largest vehicle. However, when juxtaposed with the vehicle on Earth, Curiosity is only for cars minicooper weighing almost a ton, four times the weight of Opportunity and Spirit, two previous explorers. Because of its weight, NASA must develop an entirely new system to send robotic explorers to Mars. To get around the big size of the robot explorers, NASA engineers made a rocket-powered space crane that will be hovering over the red planet. The crane will lower the Curiosity to the planet's surface using a cable. The system is completely new, but engineers are confident the mission that the system will work.
Crane space that would ensure landing point Curiosity is more accurate than previous Mars rover. The size of the craft landing area about 20 x 22 kilometers. When Spirit and Opportunity, two twin explorer, landed on Mars in 2004, they reached the landing area 150 x 80 km.Increased accuracy provided by sky crane was easier Mars Science Laboratory mission planners to select the landing area. Now they can choose locations based on the research you want done, no longer constrained criterion whether the location is safe and flat.
The mission of U.S. $ 2.5 billion is scheduled to take off using the Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral on next November 25 or December 18, 2011. Curiosity is estimated to arrive at Mars in August 2012. Once setting the wheels on the Martian surface, Curiosity will investigate the planet's landscape with 10 different instruments.The robot comes with a large robotic arm that can vaporize a stone at a distance of 7 meters, a boring tool, and weather stations. After the mission before ensuring the presence of water on Mars, Curiosity task is much more specific. "Finding organic compounds as a signal if ever there is a 'life on Mars," said John Grotzinger, MSL project scientist at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "This task is very heavy, like looking for needle in a haystack."
Curiosity will collect samples drilled from rocks or shoveling the soil and analyze it in the testing chamber during the 687 days on Mars.
Over the years, more than 150 scientists debated the landing site of the largest U.S. robotic rover that. Of the 30 potential sites are then narrowed down to four and finally two locations, NASA settled on Gale crater, which has mountains as high as 5 kilometers, and get rid of his rival, Eberswalde crater, which has dried up river delta.
"In the end we chose one of the best," said Grotzinger. "There is a possibility it is the highest mountain in the solar system that we can climb using robotic explorers."Mountains are located within the 154 kilometer wide crater is shaped like a big hill, so the six-wheeled robot that can climb up to half the height of the hill.
Previously, NASA scientists difficulty setting one of two choices, because both have different characteristics. "We are very keen to go anywhere from the second landing site," said Grotzinger. "It's like two different flavors of ice cream, whether you prefer chocolate or vanilla on Mars? So, we are a lot of back and forth in his decision."
Last year, NASA announced that the institution has selected four options Curiosity landing site. In addition to Gale and Eberswalde, the options are considered promising a lot of information about Mars is the Holden crater and a flood channel called Mawrth Vallis. "The four locations were very tempting, to have more evidence of water activity on Mars in ancient times," said Grotzinger.
On Mars, the main task is to conduct an assessment Curiosity whether the planet capable of supporting life on the level of microbes, at least in the past. Probes must be examined immediately point ever flowing water, because the surface of the planet is now dry as a desert.
NASA scientists suspect Eberswalde was an ancient river delta. Although Holden also has much in common with many other features dap trench that is formed when water eroded the surface in the past, NASA it off the list. "Eberswalde has one or two other advantages that make it superior," said Grotzinger.
Mawrth Vallis also eventually frozen out because the researchers are not sure they understand the geological history of the region as they know Gale. "It is difficult to understand the context of what happened there," said Grotzinger. "There are many question marks about the Mawrth Vallis."
Gale Crater is the most superior alternative among the options. A mountain that towered almost 5 kilometers from its center. If Curiosity parachuted into Gale, robotic rover that will collect lots of samples when climbing the mountains, to analyze the various rock layers encountered along the journey.
"The rock is a row of chapters in the history of the evolution of the environment on Mars," said Grotzinger.*** [TJANDRA | SPACE | NASA | KORAN TEMPO 3601]
