Curiosity, the largest NASA robot ever sent to Mars, will land on August 5 with a scheduled mission to roam the surface for years, looking for signs of life - and it carries a Canadian instrument.
The six-wheeled rover, about the size of a Mini and weighing more than a metric tonne, must execute the most complicated powered landing, in the roughest area, that a robotic lander has ever attempted on Mars.
For the final descent to the surface of Mars, a set of rocket motors attached to a rig above the lander will fire. Then a cable system will lower Curiosity from the rig like a sky crane and gently bring it to the ground. As soon as wheels touch down, the cables are cut, the sky crane flies off and crashes at a safe distance, and Curiosity opens its eyes on an alien world. (Watch a video simulation of the landing here.)
Curiosity will begin by exploring the lower slopes of the mountain, named Mt. Sharp after a NASA geologist. It will spend two years climbing its lower slopes, looking for signs of ancient water activity and possible Martian life.
One of the instruments that will analyze the chemical composition of the Martian rocks is Canadian, an Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer, with Dr.Ralf Gellert from the University of Guelph as the principle investigator.
Read more: Watch for Mars landing this summer, featuring Canadian technology - Quirks and Quarks
No comments:
Post a Comment