Curiosity, More than Just a Mars Rover

Curiosity is the NASA's next Mars rover. It is also known as the Curiosity Mars Science Laboratory. The main problem for most rovers on Mars is that there is a limited ability for those rovers to analyze the actual composition and complex organic molecules. Luckily Curiosity's name as a Mars Science Laboratory is not just for show! This 2.5 billion dollar, 3 meter long robot with the width as large as a car, is five times the weight of previous rovers. Here is a picture comparison between the most recently sent twin rovers, Spirit/Opportunity, and Curiosity.

(http://flyingsinger.blogspot.com/2009/05/sojourner-spirit-opportunity-curiosity.html)

Curiosity is essentially the size of a car while Spirit/Opportunity is the size of a golf cart. The picture merely gives an idea of Curiosity's size compared to past rovers and thus the context here (which is on Mars) is not truthful! Due to the size of Curiosity, NASA is using a different landing procedure than previous rovers. This new landing procedure is not just more sophisticated, but it is also more safe for the rover if it goes off without a problem. A video with excellent commentary here shows this new sky crane landing system and also other features of Curiosity that makes it a science laboratory!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIpFgump7so&feature=player_embedded)

This clip really shows why Curiosity is by far the "most scientifically advanced robot rover" ever to be sent beyond Earth. Compared to the old methods of landing rovers like by sticking them into very soft cushioned beach-balls and literally let it bounce on the surface of Mars until it stops, this sky crane landing system seems like a few generations ahead in technology. Curiosity's 10 science instruments will be crucial in allowing the rover to search for evidence of microbial life and also chemical ingredients for life on Mars. One of the most unique instruments Curiosity has is an actual laser that is meant to "look inside rocks and release the gasses" so that its spectrometer can analyze the composition of predicted ancient bedrocks. In the video in the above, it also shows that Curiosity carries an on-board scientific lab that can analyze rocks and sand collected by its drill. Without a doubt, Curiosity is probably as close to robotic ways of doing anthropology on Mars as we will ever get until NASA actually sends manned anthropology teams to Mars to dig and search for dead or currently living lifeforms.

The power supply of the Curiosity is made of plutonium dioxide and is predicted to "significantly enhance" the driving range, scientific capability, and working lifetime of Curiosity compared to solar powered rovers like Spirit and Opportunity.

(http://www.universetoday.com/90397/closing-the-clamshell-on-a-martian-curiosity/)

Curiosity is scheduled to launch on November 25th, 2011 from Cape Canaveral, Florida on an Atlas V rocket. It is anticipated that Curiosity and its on board science laboratory will change our very understanding of Mars and hopefully provide some conclusive proof that life could have, and perhaps even did exist on Mars in the past! Here is a cool time lapse video of NASA's Curiosity rover being packed up for a trip down to Florida for its near future launch.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=reK2wZ6_ArM)

The video covers the work of "a period of four days" in one minute. I truly hope that Curiosity does get to Mars in good condition, as I also look forward to its contribution in the future to our understanding of the nearby (astronomically speaking) red planet!