Author: Steven

Overview:

3.When was curiosity rover launched ? 26th November,2011 at 07:02am

4.What is the name of the launched vehicle ?   Curiosity

Science:

6.What is the Top 5 results from curiosity have ?  Determine whether human life ever arose on Mars, Characterize climate on Mars, Characterize he geology on Mars,Prepare for Human expedition on Mars.

Rover:

7.How many wheels does Curiosity have ?4

8.What is the mission of curiosity ?Its mission is to see if Mars ever could have supported small life forms called microbes and if humans could survive there someday.

9.What are the specs of curiosity ?Length: 10 feet (3 meters), Width: 9 feet (2.7 meters), Height: 7 feet (2.2 meters), Mass: 1,982 pounds (899 kilograms).

10.Where does the rover gets its energy from ?Radioisotope power systems are generators that produce electricity from the natural decay of plutonium-238, which is a non-weapons-grade form of that radioisotope used in power systems for NASA spacecraft. Heat given off by the natural decay of this isotope is converted into electricity, providing constant power during all seasons and through the day and night.

Mission Timeline:

11.What are the names of the 13 stages for the curiosity approached and landing on Mars ?Cruise Stage Separation,Separation Cruise Balance Mass Devices (CBMD), Entry Interface, Peak Heating, Peak Deceleration, Hypersonic Aero-maneuvering, Parachute Deploy, Heatshield Separation, Radar Data Collection, Backshell Separation & Powered Descent,  Rover Separation & Mobility Deploy, Touchdown, Flyaway.

12.Hover over “Rover separation and mobility deploy”then whats is the name to the landing technique for the rover ? Sky crane

13.How does Sky Crane work ? It allows the rover to land safely on its wheels without any kind of extra cushioning. Think of a large crane on a construction site that lowers a steel beam for a skyscraper to the ground. What happens first is rover separation. Once the engines slow descent to about 1.7 miles per hour (0.75 meters per second), the descent stage maintains that downward speed until the rover touches down. Four out of eight retrorockets shut off before three nylon ropes (the bridle) and an “umbilical cord” begins to spool out. About 25 feet (7.5 meters) long, they lower Curiosity from the descent stage. The rover is now at an altitude of about 66 feet (about 20 meters) above the surface, and about 12 seconds before touchdown.

When did Curiosity land ? 10:32 p.m. PDT, Aug. 5, 2012

Where is Curiosity:

14.How long has curiosity been on Mars ? 2 Martian Years (1374 Earth Days)