Nuclear Powered Geologist on Mars!
NASA officially terms their latest extraterrestrial rover to land on the Red Planet the Mars Science Laboratory — but it is widely known as Curiosity. It is the size of a small car, like the MiniCooper, and literally weighs a ton (909kg).
Curiosity is twice as long, five times the mass with ten times the mass of science instruments as either of the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Science and engineering evolves as more facts and experience are gathered so Curiosity raises the bar not only with its more sophisticated instrumentation but also it power source.
Since it has been determined that water once ran freely on Mars scientists are searching for evidence that Mars once supported life. The search is by exploring for chemistry within the rocks and soil that can support carbon based life as we know it as well as mineralogy altered by life forms.
NASA has purposely landed Curiosity on one of the lowest elevations on Mars, the Gale Crater, near its rim and inside of it where water should have been. Later, Curiosity will make its way to the crater’s central structure Aeolis Mons (informally known as “Mount Sharp”) to study the outcrops likely to be present there. It does not appear to be a central uplift structure (a characteristic of an impact) but may be 2 billion years of sedimentary rock — layers upon layers of it — eons of the geological history of Mars. Curiosity is the latest, largest and most competent geologist to yet arrive on Mars.
Curiosity’s mass demanded a more sophisticated landing than bouncing airbags and a more sci-fi method than the one chosen is hard to imagine. Shallow entry into the atmosphere followed by a parachute-borne descent — normal enough — then followed by a rocket powered hover whereupon the Curiosity was lowered by a sky crane. After two seconds on the surface the sky crane/descent stage executed a fly away maneuver to crash well away from the rover. This left Curiosity firmly on the planet with the least amount of dust blown about or man-made obstacle challenges such as a ramp partially resting on a rock.
A nuclear power unit (radioisotope thermoelectric generator or RTG) is providing the electricity required for the motors and instruments with the residual heat keeping everything warm enough to continue working through the Martian winters (a first). The power source is a non fissile isotope of plutonium, 238Pu, which primarily emits alpha particles with no need for additional shielding around the casing.
0132 hours EST: touchdown confirmed
0135 hours EST: imagery being transmitted
Curiosity has traveled well and everything from computers to dozens of pyrotechnic charges appears to have worked perfectly to set the biggest and most capable extraterrestrial explorer on Mars! Congratulations to the multitudes of all those involved
Best of all — data from places no person has yet seen for many years to come!