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Image credit: United Launch Alliance
The complete press release about the Mars Curiosity mission can be found at NASA.gov:
"NASA began a historic voyage to Mars with the November 26 launch of the Mars Science Laboratory, which carries a car-sized rover named Curiosity."
"This is the most advanced scientific laboratory to Mars. The MSL will provide information as to the critical things we need to know abut Mars, and while it advances science, NASA will be working on the capabilities for a human mission to the Red Planet and to other destinations never before visited."
"The MSL mission will pioneer precision landing technology and a sky-crane touchdown to place Curiosity near the foot of a mountain inside Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. During a nearly two-year prime mission after landing, the rover will investigate whether the region has ever offered conditions favorable for microbial life, including the chemical ingredients for life."
"Curiosity's ambitious science goals are among the mission's many differences from earlier Mars rovers. It will use a drill and scoop at the end of its robotic arm to gather soil and powdered samples of rock interiors, then sieve and parcel out these samples into analytical laboratory instruments inside the rover. Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass 15 times as large as the science-instrument payloads on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Some of the tools are the first of their kind on Mars, such as a laser-firing instrument for checking the elemental composition of rocks from a distance, and an X-ray diffraction instrument for definitive identification of minerals in powdered samples."
APO Vice President Carol Levy had the good fortune of attending the launch of Curiosity on its journey to Mars. Carol's thoughts about the launch, and her photos are below:
"On Saturday, November 26th, my grandchildren and I were lucky enough to be at the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch of Curiosity, the next Mars rover. As launch time approached, the excitement increased. We all knew we were about to see something historically significant. Then at 10:02 EST, the countdown started. Everyone counted out loud. Three, two, one, and liftoff! Nothing but white billowing smoke … then the big Atlas rocket rose into the air. People screamed with excitement and joy. Up, up the rocket climbed. Then we heard the loud roar and at the same time the ground under the bleachers shook. It felt like an earthquake. The Earth WAS quaking. Up into the clouds the rocket was still rising, now in an arc over the Atlantic Ocean. Finally it disappeared behind clouds. When everyone thought it was all over, the air filled with the odor of ignited fuel. We could SMELL the launch!"
"I will never forget this experience and hope my grandchildren won't either."
Carol Levy – APO Vice President
Lift off! |
The Atlas rocket rises into the clouds |
A mock-up of the Curiosity rover |
Detail of Curiosity's 'eye' |
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