Entry, Descent, and Landing
Previous landings on Mars had been by ablative shield and parachute followed by rockets or air bags. It was decided to change this for the MSL, allowing a much heavier 2 ton weight of the payload and the desire for even heavier payloads in the future (see
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TRAVELS WITH CURIOSITY EXPLORING MARS BY ROVER
Travels with Curiosity
Charles J. Byrne
Travels with Curiosity Exploring Mars by Rover
Charles J. Byrne Image Again Middletown, NJ, USA
ISBN 978-3-030-53804-0 ISBN 978-3-030-53805-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-53805-7 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover image: In this image, Curiosity is parked at the foot of Mount Remarkable in the Kimberly site; her MastCam is examining a rock that has tumbled from the hill. The surface of Mars is covered with fine red dust that also floats in the atmosphere. The color images are often filtered like this to show contrast in the rocks for the geologists. That turns the dusty sky to light blue. Credit: NASA This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
Preface
The Mars Science Laboratory and the Curiosity Rover The project Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) was so named to emphasize its objective to land a large mobile array of instruments on the surface of Mars. These instruments were to be designed by scientists in diverse disciplines to gather information not only about the surface as it is today but also how it came to be that way in the course of its history. The centerpiece of the MSL project is the rover, large enough and strong enough to carry an entire laboratory of instruments and support equipment as well as travel over a diversity of terrain conditions while gathering data for scientific investigation of Mars.
Scientific Curiosity The winner: Clara Ma Clara Ma was a 12-year-old student at the Sunflower Elementary School in Lenexa, Kansas when she won NASA’s name contest. Asked why she entered the contest, she replied: “I was really interested in space. But I though
