CURIOSITY: A car-sized, six-wheeled robot destined for...

CURIOSITY: A car-sized, six-wheeled robot

destined for Gale Crater on Mars

Ar#st’s Concept. NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Its mission: to see if Mars ever could have supported small life forms called microbes . . . and if humans could survive there someday.


In this ‘family portrait’ you can see our ‘growing’ family!

Spirit/Opportunity

Sojourner

Curiosity

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Curiosity is twice the size of Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity

and five times as heavy.


Curiosity: By the Numbers

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Length: 10 feet (3 m) Width: 9 feet (2.8 m) Height: 7 feet (2.1 m) Mass: 1,982 pounds (899 kg) Arm Length: 7 feet (2.1 m) Wheel Diameter: 20 inches (0.5 m) Science Instruments: 10

Curiosity’s “body” protects its instruments and computers

Its body is high off the ground, so the rover won’t get stuck on any rocks.

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Deck

Curiosity’s computer serve as the main “brains” during the cruise from Earth and Mars arrival.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Curiosity has a full back up computer.

Curiosity’s Computers

Processor: • radiation-hardened central processor with PowerPC 750 • operates at up to 200 megahertz, 10x Spirit & Opportunity’s computers Memory: • 2 gigabytes of flash memory (~8 times as much as Spirit/Opportunity), • 256 megabytes of dynamic RAM • 256 kilobytes of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Instrument Locations

Mastcam!camera heads!

REMS!booms!

UV sensor!

CheMin!Inlet!

RAD!

MARDI!camera head!

DAN!

ChemCam!

APXS & MAHLI!

SAM!Inlets!

3

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Inside Curiosity are two instruments for analyzing powdered samples

Intakes for the CheMin Instrument

Intakes for the SAM Instrument

NASA/JPL-Caltech /Malin Space Science Systems

Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin)

Main Function: Analyze Mineralogy/Chemical Composition Size: About the size of a laptop computer inside a carrying case Spectrometer Type: An X-ray diffraction and fluorescence instrument Finding minerals that either formed in water or were altered by water in the past helps us understand if Mars ever could have been a habitat for microbes.

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Sample Analysis on Mars (SAM)

Main Function: Identify organic compounds in the rock, soil, or atmosphere Size: the size of a microwave oven. Components: •  gas chromatograph for separating

gases to identify them •  mass spectrometer for detecting key

elements necessary for life (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, oxygen and carbon)

•  tunable laser spectrometer for detecting methane, water vapor, and carbon dioxide

Sensitivity: detects less than one part-per-billion of an organic compound Ovens: heat most rock samples to about 1,800 degrees F (about 1,000 degrees C) to extract gases for analysis

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN)

Main Function: Search for signs of water Location: on the rear "bumper" of the rover “body” Capability: Measures hydrogen up to one meter (three feet) below the surface. Sensitivity: Can detect water content as low as 1/10th of 1 percent

Today, Mars does not have liquid water on its surface, but water may be chemically bound in minerals that formed in water long ago.

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD)

Curiosity will help us understand not only the possibility of past life on Mars, but also whether we humans could explore there one day.

Main Function: Collect data about natural high-energy radiation in space and on Mars' surface Location: Rover Deck, pointed toward the sky Size: similar to a jar of spaghetti sauce

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Curiosity can see Mars with 17 Cameras

Science Cameras •  Chemistry & Camera: on the mast •  Mast Camera: on the mast •  Mars Hand Lens Imager: on the arm •  Mars Descent Imager: on the rover body Driving & Navigation Cameras •  Navigation Cameras: on the Mast •  Hazard Avoidance Cameras: on the front and rear of the body


Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam)

•  Curiosity’s laser can hit a rock or soil target up to 23 feet (7 meters) away with enough energy to pulverize a pinhead spot on the rock.

•  A spectrometer studies gas

released to see what types of atoms are in the vapor.

•  Curiosity can find out if a rock

seems interesting before it drives over to check it out.

Curiosity uses this tool to see if a rock has been altered by water and if it has elements critical to life as we know it


Mast Camera (Mastcam)

The telephoto lens can distinguish a football from a basketball from a distance of 7 football fields!

• Color Stereo Imaging

• Mounted at human-eye view: 6.5 feet (2.0 meters) above ground with about 10 inches (25 cm) between them

• Right camera is telephoto, left is wide angle

• Image size is 1600 x 1200 pixels

• HD video 10 frames per second

Telephoto Wide angle

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

It can take photos of rocks far away too, and carries its own lighting to take photos at night.

Main Function: Microscopic Imaging Location: On the turret at the end of the robotic arm Color Quality: Like that of consumer digital cameras, can autofocus. Image Size: up to 1600 X 1200 pixels Image Resolution: possibility of 13.9 microns/pixel HD Video: 720p Other: first sends back thumbnails so scientists can select best images to send back to Earth

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Mars Descent Imager (MARDI)

Main Function: Take pictures during descent through Martian atmosphere Location: Mounted on the side of the rover, pointing toward the ground Memory: 8 Gig flash memory allows over 4,000 raw frames HD Video: four color frames per second; close to 1,600 X 1,200 pixels per frame Other: Thumbnails and a few sample frames expected a few days after landing

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Navigation Cameras (Navcams)

The Navigation Cameras can see a golf ball from a distance of 82 feet, or 25 meters away

•  Black and white stereo cameras help rover drivers see where to drive

•  Aid in ‘autonomous’ navigation and checking actual wheel rotations (often some ‘slippage’ over the ground)

•  Image Size: 1,024 by 1,024 pixels

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

•  Help in autonomous navigation and avoiding obstacles

•  Mounted at the front and rear of the rover’s body, pointing down at the ground, about 27 inches (68 cm) above ground

•  Image Size: 1024 X 1024 pixels

•  Each has a one-time-removable lens cover to shield from dust kicked up at landing

Hazard Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams)

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

What’s the Weather on Mars Today?

Rover Environmental Monitoring (REMS) •  Will record air and ground

temperatures, wind speed and direction, air pressure, humidity, and UV radiation

•  Can collect weather readings for at least five minutes every hour

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Mobility System

Rocker/Bogie: • made of titanium tubing • capable of rolling over rocks the size of one of its wheels Wheels: • made of aluminum, with cleats for traction and curved titanium springs Size: 20 inches (0.5 m) in diameter

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Curiosity’s wheels are also the landing system!

Six-Wheel Drive

•  Each wheel has its own motor, and each of the front and rear wheels have additional steering motors.

•  This steering capability

allows the vehicle to turn in place, a full 360 degrees.

•  Curiosity has a top speed on hard, flat ground of 1.5 inches (4 cm) per second

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Curiosity’s seven-foot arm holds and moves tools to help scientists get up-close

and personal with Martian rocks and soil.

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

The Robotic Arm

The Arm Carries: •  a drill •  a brush to remove dust •  a soil scoop •  a camera for close-up views There are two science tools to understand if Mars ever had conditions suitable for microbial life.

APXS

Drill

“Wrist”

“elbow”

“Shoulder”

MAHLI

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS)

Main Function: Analyze chemical elements in Martian rock and “soil” (regolith) Location: on the turret at the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm Size: About the size of a cupcake Size of Sampled Area: about 1.7 cm in diameter when the instrument is in contact with the sample. Upgrades: Can now operate day or night and takes about one-third of the time to acquire a reading

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech/Max-‐Planck-‐Ins#tute for Chemistry

Curiosity has three antennas to send and receive data

Ultra High Frequency (UHF) •  Communicates with orbiters,

primarily sends data. •  UHF band (about 400

megahertz) High Gain Antenna •  Hexagon-shaped, about 1 ft in

diameter. •  Steerable, used for transmitting/

receiving direct from Earth. •  160-800 kbs per second Low-gain Antenna •  Omnidirectional; primarily

receives data •  X band, 7-8 gigahertz

Low gain antenna can receive commands from Earth

High gain antenna can receive commands from Earth

UHF Antenna Sends/receives via orbiters

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

Curiosity will send data back to Earth’s Deep Space Network

through Mars orbiters Mars Odyssey Orbiter Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Rover Power

Main Function: Provide power to the rover Location: Aft side of the rover Weight: about 99 pounds (45 kilograms) Power Source: Uses 10.6 pounds (4.8 kg) of plutonium dioxide as the source of the steady supply of heat Electrical power produced: slightly over 100 watts

NASA/JPL-‐Caltech

Follow Curiosity!

Mission Website: mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl

Twi8er: @MarsCuriosity Facebook: MarsCuriosity

Be A MarBan! beamarBan.jpl.nasa.gov

www.nasa.gov/msl

CURIOSITY: A car-sized, six-wheeled robot destined for...

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