Curiosity Rover To Land At Gale Crater
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NASA has selected Gale crater as the landing site for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Today NASA announced that the latest in their fleet of Mars rovers, car-sized Mars Science Laboratory, dubbed ‘Curiosity’, will be landing at Gale crater. The crater spans roughly 96 miles in diameter and contains a mountain over 14,000 feet high. Named after Australian astronomer Watler F. Gale, the crater features layering in the mound, which suggests it is a remnant of an extensive sequence of deposits.
In a NASA/JPL press release NASA Administrator Charles stated: “Mars is firmly in our sights, Curiosity not only will return a wealth of important science data, but it will serve as a precursor mission for human exploration to the Red Planet.“
Curiosity’s prime mission, scheduled for one martian year will utilize the rover’s instruments to examine the landing region for signs of habitable conditions in Mars’ past.
In the same press release, Jim Green, director of the NASA’s Planetary Science Division adds, “Scientists identified Gale as their top choice to pursue the ambitious goals of this new rover mission. The site offers a visually dramatic landscape and also great potential for significant science findings.“
Over the past five years, over 100 scientists world-wide reviewed over two dozen potential landing sites. In 2008, the list was narrowed down to four potential sites and then narrowed down to Gale crater and Eberswalde crater. Using numerous images of Mars allowed NASA to better understand the safety concerns and scientific attractions of each potential landing site.
This oblique view of the lower mound in Gale crater shows layers of rock that preserve a record of environments on Mars.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA/UA
The specific area that Curiosity will explore within Gale crater has an alluvial fan likely formed by sediments carried by flowing water. At the base of the mountain are layers which feature clays and sulfates, which form in water. Since Gale crater is in a low-elevation region of Mars, the mission scientists believe that since water flows “downhill” the area should provide a wealth of information regarding Mars’ wetter past.
Moving forward from NASA’s “follow-the-water” strategy of recent Mars exploration, Curiosity will be able to identify other ingredients of life, such as organic compounds. The clay and sulfate layers near the bottom of Gale’s mountain would help preserve any organic compounds that may have formed in the past.
Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars Exploration Program concluded with: “What adds to Gale’s appeal is that, organics or not, the site holds a diversity of features and layers for investigating changing environmental conditions, some of which could inform a broader understanding of habitability on ancient Mars.“
If you’d like to learn more information about the Mars Science Laboratory mission visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl
Source:NASA/JPL MSL Mission Updates
Ray Sanders is a Sci-Fi geek, astronomer and blogger. Currently researching variable stars at Arizona State University, he writes for Universe Today, The Planetary Society blog, and his own blog, Dear Astronomer
2012-12-04 08:06:25
Source: http://www.dearastronomer.com/2011/07/22/curiosity-rover-to-land-at-gale-crater/
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