Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation

Grotzinger, J. P.; Crisp, J. A.; Vasavada, A. R.; Anderson, Robert C.; Baker, Charles J.; Barry, Robert; Blake, D. F.; Conrad, P. G.; Edgett, K. S.; Ferdowski, Bobak; Gellert, R.; Gilbert, John B.; Golombek, M. P.; Gómez‐Elvira, Javier; Hassler, Donald M.; Jandura, Louise; Litvak, M. L.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Maki, J. N.; Meÿer, Michael A.; Malin, M. C.; Митрофанов, И. Г.; Simmonds, John J.; Vaniman, D. T.; Welch, Richard V.; Wiens, R. C.

doi:10.1007/s11214-012-9892-2

articleSpace Science ReviewsJul 24, 2012HYBRID OA

Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation

JPJ. P. Grotzinger JAJ. A. Crisp ARA. R. Vasavada RCRobert C. Anderson CJCharles J. Baker

California Institute of Technology · Jet Propulsion Laboratory · +9 more institutions

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Abstract

Scheduled to land in August of 2012, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission was initiated to explore the habitability of Mars. This includes both modern environments as well as ancient environments recorded by the stratigraphic rock record preserved at the Gale crater landing site. The Curiosity rover has a designed lifetime of at least one Mars year (∼23 months), and drive capability of at least 20 km. Curiosity’s science payload was specifically assembled to assess habitability and includes a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer and gas analyzer that will search for organic carbon in rocks, regolith fines, and the atmosphere (SAM instrument); an x-ray diffractometer that will determine mineralogical…

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Topics

Keywords

Regolith
Mars Exploration Program
Astrobiology
Planetary science
Exploration of Mars
Remote sensing
Scientific instrument
Payload (computing)

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