Mars Science Laboratory Mission: Curiosity

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  • plash0

    Next week at this time, there may be an amazing new robotic explorer on the planet Mars or a new pile of junk. It all likely depends on many systems going correctly. Within minutes after the Mars Science Laboratory enters the thin atmosphere, it will attempt to deploy the a car-sized rover from orbit. This is arguably the most sophisticated landing yet attempted on the red planet, consecutive precision events will involve a heat shield, a super sonic parachute, several navigation rocket maneuvers, and the automatic operation of an unusual device called, a Sky Crane.

    If successful the car-sized rover will rest on the surface and shortly after begin exploring the Gale Crater. We will determine the habitability of this seemingly barren world and our search for water will continue. At point of touch down Mars will be 1.49 million kilometers away. This may seem like unimaginable distance. Yet our ingenuity, science and our hope has in fact bridged that distance with an amazing rover called Curiosity. - NASA

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