NASA selects Mars rover landing site
Posted: Sat, Jul 23, 2011, 6:38 AM ET (1038 GMT)
NASA's next Mars rover will land in a large crater that features a mountain the rover will climb, project scientists announced Friday. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), also known as Curiosity, will land in Gale Crater near the planet's equator. The crater, over 150 kilometers in diameter, features a central mountain about five kilometers high that the rover will climb during its mission, allowing the rover to study a variety of terrains. Gale was one of four finalists for the MSL landing site, selected by scientists from a group of 60 candidate sites based on their scientific value and engineering feasibility. Of particular interest at the landing site are clays at the base of the mountain that likely formed in the presence of liquid water and could provide new clues to the planet's early history, including whether the planet once supported life. MSL is scheduled to launch in late November and land at Gale Crater in August 2012.
NASA's next Mars rover will land in a large crater that features a mountain the rover will climb, project scientists announced Friday. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), also known as Curiosity, will land in Gale Crater near the planet's equator. The crater, over 150 kilometers in diameter, features a central mountain about five kilometers high that the rover will climb during its mission, allowing the rover to study a variety of terrains. Gale was one of four finalists for the MSL landing site, selected by scientists from a group of 60 candidate sites based on their scientific value and engineering feasibility. Of particular interest at the landing site are clays at the base of the mountain that likely formed in the presence of liquid water and could provide new clues to the planet's early history, including whether the planet once supported life. MSL is scheduled to launch in late November and land at Gale Crater in August 2012.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, May 16
XCOR Aerospace Announces Lynx Suborbital Flight Winner
XCOR Aerospace — 12:52 pm ET (1652 GMT) Mojave Spaceport Hires Lobbyist as Prospects for Limited Liability Bill Brighten
Parabolic Arc — 12:51 pm ET (1651 GMT) JPL Invites all Earthlings to Annual Open House
NASA/JPL — 12:50 pm ET (1650 GMT) Ball Aerospace Submits Solar Electric Propulsion Concept to NASA
PR Newswire — 12:49 pm ET (1649 GMT) New welding technique pioneered by NASA brings hundreds of experts to Huntsville
Huntsville Times — 12:48 pm ET (1648 GMT) |