Yet another space probe bound for Mars
November 24th 2011 02:21
Category: Mars
Image concept Source: AP
If there wasn’t enough space junk littering the surface of Mars already.
Another piece of equipment will add to the list of litter scattered on the Martian surface.
The multitude of space probes on Mars could run the risk of contamination with Earth bacteria.
The latest new probe to go the Red planed will be the size of a small automobile.
Code named Curiosity, the probe is scheduled for launch this week end.
The project to cost in the order of $US2.5 billion. NASA would like a lot of bang for their buck (or should I say the taxpayers) so they are fitting the probe with a 4.8kg of plutonium pack to power the new rover for two years.
Using nuclear power makes sense the probe will be able to run more equipment and not have to shut down because of the harsh Martian winters as was the problem with solar panels.
The probe is two metres long, 2.75 metres wide and two metres tall and is larger than any other previous Martian rover. Curiosity will have a host of scientific equipment onboard
yet it can't actually detect the presence of living organisms.
The probe will be lowered by a “sky” crane on a tethered line to the surface.
I have doubts that the rover will land successfully on the surface. There is a risk that the tether could break or malfunction and the whole system could crash on the surface spilling its radio active contents.
I would love to be proved wrong but I have serious doubts.
The 570-million kilometre voyage to the Red planet will take eight months.
The Russian Mars probe is still stuck in Earth orbit they have until December to get operational.
Bon voyage
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Comment by S.L.
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Astroearth
Camera Sense
I fear it will become more of a junkyard.