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May 21, 2013
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Eastern time
The Curiosity Rover:
Robotic Geologist and Explorer
Presented by: Jordan Evans
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Introducing today’s presenter…
Introducing today’s presenters
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Jordan Evans NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA
The Curiosity Rover: Robotic Geologist and
Explorer
Jordan Evans
JPL/Caltech/NASA
@Jordan2Mars
Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology
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Brief Biography…
• Led the “Flight System” design, build, test,
launch, and operations on the Mars Science
Laboratory Project
• Aerospace Engineering – San Diego State
University and University of Maryland
• Worked on both Aircraft and Spacecraft
• Jazz Musician (Bass)
• Bacon Maker
• Science Advisor
• Woodworker
• Camper Restorer 6
Blaine Baggett
Executive Manager, Office of
Communications and Education
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA
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Why Mars?
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The wonderful future
From the 1956 book, The Exploration of Mars,
by von Braun and Willy Ley, with paintings by
Chesley Bonestell
Mars Exploration is CHALLENGING
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Did you watch Curiosity’s
landing on the night of
August 5th (PT)?
✔ Yes
✖ No
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Did you watch Curiosity’s
landing on the night of
August 5th (PT)?
An estimated 50 million people
watched the landing!
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Only 50% of Mars landers
launched have worked
USSR: Mars 2 1971 (crashed)
USSR: Mars 3 1971 (landed, radio died)
USSR: Mars 6 1973 (aero data, crashed?)
USSR: Mars 7 1974 (missed Mars)
US: Viking 1 1975
US: Viking 2 1975
USSR: Mars ‘96 (2) 1996 (failed launch)
US: Mars Pathfinder 1996
US: Mars Polar Lander 1998 (crashed?)
US: DS-2 Microprobes (2) 1998 (crashed?)
EU/UK: Beagle II 2003 (crashed?)
US: MER Spirit 2003
US: MER Opportunity 2003
US: Phoenix 2007
US: MSL Curiosity 2011 [launch dates]
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Thousands of problems to solve.
Testing
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More testing
More testing
More testing
2010
Finally, a real
Mars Science
Lab!
Rover Packaging
Ready for flight
Ready for the fairing
Encapsulation at
KSC ATLAS V fairing
Launch Complex 41 NASA/KSC
Atlas V
Careful ….
MSL Launch: Nov 26, 2011
Does every Mars-faring nation
use the same approach to get to
Mars?
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✔ Yes
✖ No
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Does every Mars-faring nation
use the same approach to get to
Mars?
The mission ….
SURFACE MISSION • Prime mission is one Mars year
(687 days)
• Latitude-independent and long-
lived power source
• Ability to drive out of landing
ellipse
• 84 kg of science payload
• Direct (uplink) and relayed
(downlink) communication
• Fast CPU and large data storage
ENTRY, DESCENT, LANDING • Guided entry and powered
“sky crane” descent
• 20×25-km landing ellipse
• Access to landing sites ±30°
latitude, <0 km elevation
• 900-kg rover
CRUISE/APPROACH • 8.5-month cruise
• Arrived August 5, 2012
LAUNCH • Nov. 26, 2011
• Atlas V (541)
Mission Overview
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Rover Family Portrait
ChemCam (Chemistry)
Mastcam (Imaging)
REMS (Weather)
DAN (Subsurface Hydrogen)
SAM (Chemistry and Isotopes)
CheMin (Mineralogy)
MARDI (Imaging)
APXS (Chemistry) MAHLI
(Imaging) RAD
(Radiation)
Drill Scoop Brush Sieves
Curiosity’s Science Payload 35
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Spacecraft
Computers Rover Motor
Controller
X-Band Radio
UHF Radio
Power Electronics
& Batteries
Thermal
Fluid Loop
SAM
ChemMin
What’s Under the Hood?
The Complexity and Beauty of Curiosity
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Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) How Did it Go?
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Landing area
(photo taken by Mars Reconnaissance orbiter)
Curiosity’s Descent stage
Before
After (photo taken by Mars Reconnaissance orbiter)
(photos taken by Mars
Reconnaissance orbiter)
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Backshell
Separation
ERT: 10:30:51
Altitude: 1670 m
Velocity: 78.6 m/s
Note:
Powered Descent
Duration: 37
Fuel usage: 260 kg
Note: Fuel usage
was lower than
expected
Sky Crane
Flyaway
Heatshield
Separation
ERT: 10:29:13
Mach: Pending
Note: Separation
rates as expected,
no tumbling
Peak Heating
ERT: Pending
Qmax: Pending
Hypersonic
Aero-maneuvering
Numb of bank reversals: 3
Guidance performance:
Great
Note: Possible tailwind/low
density during final 50-100 km
of flight
Entry Interface
ERT: 10:24:33 PM
Delivery error: 0.013 deg FPA
Peak Deceleration
ERT: 10:17:44 PM
Deceleration: ~12.2 g’s
Parachute Deploy
ERT: 10:28:53 PM
Mach: 1.72
Deceleration: ~6 g’s
Note: Lower than
expected parachute
inflation loads
Cruise Stage Separation
ERT: 10:14:34 PM
CBMD
Separation
ERT: 10:16:24 PM
Radar
Ground Solution
ERT: 10:29:21
Alt: 8.3 km
Error (alt): 113.4 m
Error (velo): 0.7
m/s
Note: Better range
at lock-up and
lower error than
expected
Touchdown
ERT: 10:31:49 PM
Velo: 0.75 m/s
Lat/Lon: -
4.5895°/137.4417°
Mobility
Deploy
Alt: 21.1
Rover
Separation
Alt: 21.5 m
Velo: 0.77 m/s
Note: gnd solution
change of ~1m near
rover sep
Flyaway
Impact ERT: <10:32:40 PM
Distance: 640 m
Note: Impact pattern may
be different than expected
Sky Crane Detail
Variance from
prediction
< 1 s
1-2 s
>2 s
All Times in ERT PDT
FS Infrastructure
Voltage at TD: 32.1 V
Comm: Great
Prop: Good
Thermal: Good
Mech: Good
AVS/FSW: Good
SECC: N/A
ISAs: 52822, 52845, 53000 (see following)
EDL Performance Summary
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Gale Crater and Mount Sharp
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Mt. Sharp
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Curiosity’s Exploration and Science Since Landing
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Looking North to Crater Rim
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Timekeeping on Mars
Timekeeping on Mars
Martian Day = “Sol”
1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s
Timekeeping on Mars
Martian Day = “Sol”
1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s
“Yestersol”
Timekeeping on Mars
Martian Day = “Sol”
1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s
“Yestersol”
“Tosol”
Timekeeping on Mars
Martian Day = “Sol”
1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s
“Yestersol”
“Tosol”
“Nextersol”
“Morrowsol”
“Sol-orrow”
Timekeeping on Mars
Martian Day = “Sol”
1 Sol = 24h 39m 35s
“Yestersol”
“Tosol”
“Nextersol”
“Morrowsol”
“Sol-orrow”
Recent Mars Weather
June
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Ear-Popping Daily Pressure Changes
100 Pa swing is…
15% of Mars Pressure
0.15% of Earth
Pressure
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Driving!
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Sol 24 Navcam: Bradbury Landing Site
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Rover tracks
(photo taken by Mars
Reconnaissance orbiter)
Stretching Out the Arm for Contact Science
on Rock Named “Jake Matijevic”
Science
Instruments at the
End of Curiosity’s
Robotic Arm
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/MSSS
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. .--
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J
P
L
Curiosity’s Science Objectives
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity’s primary scientific goal is to explore and quantitatively assess a local region on Mars’ surface as a potential habitat for life, past or present
• Biological potential
• Geology and geochemistry
• Role of water
• Surface radiation
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ChemCam Laser
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ChemCam’s laser induced breakdown
spectrometer acquires a 5-spot raster
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/LPGN/CNRS
Before After
Target: Beechey (Sol 19)
Power: 1 Gigawatt
Shots per spot: 50
8
cm(
3”)
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Remnants of Ancient Streambed on Mars
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The SAM Tunable Laser Spectrometer and Mass
Spectrometer measure atmospheric composition
SAM found that argon,
rather than nitrogen is the
second most abundant gas
SAM also found that Mars’
atmosphere is enriched in
the heavy versions of
isotopes, indicating that
atmospheric loss has
occurred
Methane has not been
definitively detected
TLS uses infrared lasers
and mirrors to measure the
absorption of light by
atmospheric gases
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Goddard
Atmospheric Gas
Abundances
Measured by SAM
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Scoop and Delivery for Chemistry and
Mineralogy
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Sol 61: First Scoop!
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What did Curiosity discover in
the Rocknest Sand Dune?
A. A habitable environment conducive to
microbial life
B. Mars dust and sand dunes are a global
phenomenon and aren’t necessarily habitable
C. The “Rocknest Monster”
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SAM and
CheMin
analyses
of
Rocknest
Sand
composed of
unaltered
basaltic
minerals,
similar to soils
on Mars
X-ray
diffraction
pattern
from
CheMin
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/MSSS
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/Ames
Gases
released
during SAM
experiments
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/Goddard
Also evidence for water,
sulfates, carbonates, and
potentially perchlorates
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How far across SDSU would Curiosity
have travelled in the 9 months thus far?
How far across SDSU would Curiosity
have travelled in the 9 months thus far?
Aztec
Center
Sol
39 Sol
43 Sol
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Current
Position ✖ Sols
55-100
MSL Rotary-Percussive Drill in Testbed at JPL
Heading into Yellowknife Bay
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/MSSS
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Postcards
from
Yellowknife
Bay NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
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“Sheepbed” rocks contain 1 to 5-mm fractures filled with
calcium sulfate minerals that precipitated from fluids at low to
moderate temperatures
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/
LPGNantes/CNRS/LGLyon/Planet-
Terre ChemCam spectra from sol
125 “Crest” and 135
“Rapitan”
ChemCam
Remote Micro-
Imager
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Spherules Suggest Water Percolation 97
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/LANL/CNES/IRAP/LPG
Nantes/CNRS
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Drilling at John Klein: A “Goldmine” of Info
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Drilling at John Klein: A “Goldmine” of Info
Wet
Neutral pH
Energy Gradients (Oxidation)
Mildly Salty
Key Chemicals (C,H,N,O,P,S)
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Drilling at John Klein: A “Goldmine” of Info
Wet
Neutral pH
Energy Gradients (Oxidation)
Mildly Salty
Key Chemicals (C,H,N,O,P,S)
Conditions Favorable for Life!
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“Cumberland” –
Curiosity’s Second
Drill Target
What’s Next for Curiosity?
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Curiosity’s Ultimate Goal: Mount Sharp
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of
Arizona 109
NASA/JPL-
Caltech/MSSS
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NASA/JPL-
Caltech/MSSS
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Layers, Canyons, and Buttes of Mount Sharp 112
Layers, Canyons, and Buttes of Mount Sharp
This boulder is the
size of Curiosity
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Questions?
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Thanks to today’s presenter!
Introducing today’s presenters
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Jordan Evans NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA
Thank you to the sponsor of
tonight’s web seminar:
This web seminar contains information about programs, products, and services
offered by third parties, as well as links to third-party websites. The presence of
a listing or such information does not constitute an endorsement by NSTA of a
particular company or organization, or its programs, products, or services.
Thank you to the sponsor of tonight’s web seminar—1 of 6
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Thank you to NSTA administration—2 of 6
National Science Teachers Association
David Evans, Ph.D., Executive Director
Zipporah Miller, Associate Executive Director, Conferences and Programs
NSTA Web Seminar Team
Al Byers, Ph.D., Assistant Executive Director, e-Learning and Government Partnerships
Brynn Slate, Manager, Web Seminars, Online Short Courses, and Symposia
Jeff Layman, Technical Coordinator, Web Seminars, SciGuides, and Help Desk
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