Curiosity reaches Mars after covering of 563 millions
kilometers. The mission cost's NASA 2.5 Billion Dollars. This mission will last
two years to complete. The scientists working on this mission are
experimenting to find any proof of life on Mars.
Doug Mccuistion, Mars exploration program director, says,
"Well it's a fine Martian day we have, sun's about ready to come up at
Gail Crater, it's going to be warm, it's gonna be sunny."
The mission is based on the most advanced technology,
apparatus and team. The landing of the Curiosity on the Mars was the most
difficult landing in the history. Like Doug says, "Accelerating all the
way from this point on. We're about to land a rover that is 10 times heavier
than Spirit and Opportunity with 15 times the payload."
On Monday 1:30 AM Eastern time, Curiosity touches the ground
of Mars in a series of complicated steps. A parachute was unfurled and the
rover was lowered to Mars surface by a set of cables -- resembling a sky crane
-- in a landing that could literally make-or-break the mission.
After it has landed and now 2nd part of the
mission is started. This part contains four scientific goals.
Biological
- (1) Determine the nature and inventory of Organic Carbon Compounds
- (2) Investigate the chemical Building Blocks of Life (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur)
- (3) Identify features that may represent the effects of biological processes
Geological
and geochemical
- (1) Investigate the chemical, Isotopic, and mineralogical composition of the Martian surface and near-surface geological materials
- (2) Interpret the processes that have formed and modified rocks and soils
Planetary
process
- (1) Assess long-timescale (i.e., 4-billion-year) Martian atmospheric evolution processes
- (2) Determine present state, distribution, and cycling of water and carbon dioxide
Surface
radiation
- (1) Characterize the broad spectrum of surface radiation, including galactic radiation, cosmic radiation, solar proton events and secondary neutrons.
