Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Natural Hazards Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Curiosity Mars rover takes first drive
Topic Started: 23 Aug 2012, 12:46 AM (46 Views)
skibboy
Member Avatar

22 August 2012

Curiosity Mars rover takes first drive

By Jonathan Amos
Science correspondent

Posted Image
The tracks left in the Martian soil by the rolling Curiosity vehicle can be seen at top-right

The US space agency's (Nasa) Curiosity rover has finally begun to roll.

The Mars robot, which landed on the Red Planet two weeks ago, turned its six wheels briefly on Wednesday to satisfy engineers that its locomotion system was in full working order.

Curiosity is a sophisticated mobile science laboratory.

It has been built to drive at least 20km across the Martian landscape to investigate whether the planet ever had the conditions necessary for life.

Wednesday's drive saw the rover roll forward 4.5m, turn clockwise on the spot for about 120 degrees, and then reverse up 2.5m.

It took about five minutes to complete the manoeuvre.

Another 10 minutes or so was spent photographing the outcome and recording the vehicle's historic first tracks in the Martian soil.

The significance of the test drive was not lost on Nasa's Curiosity project manager, Pete Theisinger.

"It couldn't be more important," he told reporters. "We built a rover and unless the rover roves, we really haven't accomplished anything.

"And the fact that we completely exercised it and everything was on track is a big moment."

Nasa has made one other key announcement on what has been the 16th day of this mission.

It has named the spot on which the robot landed after the science fiction author, Ray Bradbury.

The celebrated American writer, who died in June, was an enthusiastic supporter of the space agency.

"His books have truly inspired us," said Michael Meyer, Nasa's programme scientist for Curiosity. "The Martian Chronicles have inspired our curiosity and opened our minds to the possibility of life on Mars.

"In his honour, we declare the place that Curiosity touched down to be forever known as Bradbury Landing."

Posted Image
Nasa's Matt Heverly: "I'm pleased to report that today Curiosity had her first successful drive on Mars"

The rover is now pointing south in the general direction of Mount Sharp, the big mountain at the centre of Mars' equatorial Gale Crater.

Scientists expect to find rocks at the base of the peak that were laid down billions of years ago in the presence of abundant water.

Curiosity - also known as the Mars Science Laboratory, MSL - will not journey to Mount Sharp immediately, however.

The mission team first wants to visit a piece of ground some 400m to the east, a location researchers have dubbed Glenelg.

Satellite pictures have shown this place to be an intersection of three distinct types of rock terrain.

Scientists think Glenelg will be a good place to start to characterise the geology of Gale Crater.

On its way to the intersection, Curiosity will "sniff" the atmosphere and analyse the composition of its gases.

It will likely also scoop a soil sample to examine in its onboard laboratories.

source: Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Astronomy & Space · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Skin by OverTheBelow