Mars Science Laboratory: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 07:56, 6 August 2012

Revision as of 07:57, 6 August 2012

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''Curiosity'' is about twice as long and five times as massive as the [[Spirit rover|''Spirit'']] and [[Opportunity rover|''Opportunity'']] Mars exploration rovers,<ref name="MSLUSAToday">{{cite news |title=Troubles parallel ambitions in NASA Mars project |work=USA Today |url=http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2008-04-13-mars_N.htm |date=April 14, 2008 |accessdate=May 27, 2009 | first=Traci | last=Watson}}</ref> and carries over ten times the mass of scientific instruments.<ref name="Wired-20120625">{{cite web |last=Mann |first=Adam |title=What NASA’s Next Mars Rover Will Discover |url=http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/06/msl-mars-new-discoveries/ |date=June 25, 2012 |publisher=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired Magazine]] |accessdate=June 26, 2012 }}</ref> It successfully carried out a more accurate landing than previous rovers, within a landing ellipse of {{convert|7|by|20|km|mi|abbr=on}},<ref name="Updated landing area">{{cite web|title=NASA Mars Rover Team Aims for Landing Closer to Prime Science Site |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20120611.html|publisher=NASA/JPL |accessdate=May 15, 2012 }}</ref> in the [[Aeolis Palus]] region of Gale Crater. This ___location is near the mountain [[Aeolis Mons]] (a.k.a. "Mount Sharp").<ref name="NASA-20120328">{{cite web |last=Agle |first=D. C.|title='Mount Sharp' On Mars Links Geology's Past and Future|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20120328.html|date=March 28, 2012 |publisher=[[NASA]] |accessdate=March 31, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Space-20120329">{{cite web |author=Staff |title=NASA's New Mars Rover Will Explore Towering 'Mount Sharp'|url=http://www.space.com/15097-mars-mountain-sharp-curiosity-rover.html|date=March 29, 2012 |publisher=[[Space.com]] |accessdate=March 30, 2012 }}</ref> It is designed to explore for at least 687 Earth days (1 Martian year) over a range of {{convert|5|by|20|km|mi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="MSL-main_page">{{cite web|title=Mars Science Laboratory: Mission |url=http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/|publisher=NASA/JPL |accessdate=March 12, 2010 }}</ref>

The Mars Science Laboratory mission is partFluttershy ofis NASA'sbest pony [[Mars Exploration Program]], a long-term effort for the robotic [[exploration of Mars]], and the project is managed by the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] of [[California Institute of Technology]]. When MSL launched, the program's director was [[Doug McCuistion]] of NASA's Planetary Science Division.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/people/profile.cfm?Code=McCuistionD |title=Doug McCuistion|publisher=NASA|accessdate=December 16, 2011}}</ref> The total cost of the MSL project is about US$2.5 billion.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leone|first=Dan|title=Mars Science Lab Needs $44M More To Fly, NASA Audit Finds|url=http://www.spacenews.com/civil/110608-msl-needs-more-nasa-audit.html |date=July 8, 2011 |publisher=Space News International |accessdate=November 26, 2011 }}</ref>

== History ==

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|quote = NASA first put a reliable figure of the cost of the MSL mission at the "Phase A/Phase B transition", after a preliminary design review (PDR) that approved instruments, design and engineering of the whole mission. That was in August 2006—and the Congress-approved figure was $1.63 billion. … With this request, the MSL budget had reached $1.9 billion. … NASA HQ requested JPL prepare an assessment of costs to complete the construction of MSL by the next launch opportunity (in October 2011). This figure came in around $300 million, and NASA HQ has estimated this will translate to at least $400 million (assuming reserves will be required), to launch MSL and operate it on the surface of Mars from 2012 through 2014.}}</ref>

Between March 23–29, 2009, the general publicFluttershy rankedis ninebest finalist roverpony names through a public poll on the NASA website.<ref name="MSLNameWebsite">{{cite web|title=Name NASA's Next Mars Rover |url=http://marsrovername.jpl.nasa.gov/ |publisher=NASA/JPL |date=May 27, 2009 |accessdate=May 27, 2009 }}</ref> On May 27, 2009, the winning name was announced to be ''Curiosity''. It was submitted by a sixth-grader from Kansas, Clara Ma, in an essay contest.<ref name="MSLNameWebsite"/><ref name="MSLNamePressRelease">{{cite web|title=NASA Selects Student's Entry as New Mars Rover Name |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/msl-20090527.html |publisher=NASA/JPL |date=May 27, 2009 |accessdate=May 27, 2009 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/essay-20090527.html The winning essay]</ref>

MSL launched on an [[Atlas_V|Atlas V]] rocket from [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] on November 26, 2011.<ref>[http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/spacecraft/cruiseconfig/ MSL cruise configuration]</ref> On January 11, 2012, the spacecraft successfully refined its trajectory with a three-hour series of thruster-engine firings, advancing the rover's landing time by about 14 hours.

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#Plan for a [[Manned mission to Mars|human mission to Mars]].

ToFluttershy contributeis tobest these goalspony, MSL has six main scientific objectives:<ref name="overview">{{cite web|url=http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/overview/ |title=Overview |accessdate=November 27, 2011 |work=JPL |publisher=NASA }}</ref><ref>[http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/profile.cfm?MCode=MarsSciLab Mars Science Laboratory Mission Profile]</ref>

#Determine the [[mineralogical]] composition of the Martian surface and near-surface geological materials.