Science! By Ryan Whitwam Sep. 13, 2014 11:02 am
It takes time for the Curiosity rover to get anywhere on Mars*– after all, you don’t want to send it rolling across the craggy surface of the Red Planet only to end up stuck on a rock or at the bottom of a ravine. That’s why Curiosity has just now completed its two month trek across Mars to reach the base of Mount Sharp.
Curiosity recently passed its two-year anniversary on Mars, having clocked about 9km (5.5 miles) of driving. The rough terrain means that NASA can’t just send the rover off into the distance and check back in later. The surface of Mars is tough and uneven–designers may have even underestimated just how damaging the surface would be. Curiosity’s wheels are taking a pounding, so mission planners have started charting courses around the rougher areas a few meters at a time (based on data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
NASA opted to take a different path to Mount Sharp with Curiosity, which has resulted in an earlier than expected arrival at the base of the mountain. This was done partially for scientific reasons, and partially to prevent more damage to the wheels. The rover landed in Gale Crater, which is geologically distinct from the mountain that borders it. Having reached Mount Sharp, Curiosity can begin investigating it*layer-by-layer. One of Curiosity’s main goals is to learn about the Martian environment in the distant past. Going up the slopes of Mount Sharp will provide an opportunity to study multiple geological strata in a relatively compact area.
Curiosity has been trucking along for the last two years with an emphasis on covering ground quickly on route to Mount Sharp. Now that it has arrived, the team plans to spend more time doing experiments and less driving around. If Curiosity can find evidence of ancient life on Mars, this is where it will happen.
Now read:*12 months of NASA’s Curiosity rover in 2 minutes
More...
Curiosity recently passed its two-year anniversary on Mars, having clocked about 9km (5.5 miles) of driving. The rough terrain means that NASA can’t just send the rover off into the distance and check back in later. The surface of Mars is tough and uneven–designers may have even underestimated just how damaging the surface would be. Curiosity’s wheels are taking a pounding, so mission planners have started charting courses around the rougher areas a few meters at a time (based on data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).
NASA opted to take a different path to Mount Sharp with Curiosity, which has resulted in an earlier than expected arrival at the base of the mountain. This was done partially for scientific reasons, and partially to prevent more damage to the wheels. The rover landed in Gale Crater, which is geologically distinct from the mountain that borders it. Having reached Mount Sharp, Curiosity can begin investigating it*layer-by-layer. One of Curiosity’s main goals is to learn about the Martian environment in the distant past. Going up the slopes of Mount Sharp will provide an opportunity to study multiple geological strata in a relatively compact area.
Curiosity has been trucking along for the last two years with an emphasis on covering ground quickly on route to Mount Sharp. Now that it has arrived, the team plans to spend more time doing experiments and less driving around. If Curiosity can find evidence of ancient life on Mars, this is where it will happen.
Now read:*12 months of NASA’s Curiosity rover in 2 minutes
More...
