Mission to Mars Landing on Mars: Description Essay

Mission to Mars

Landing on Mars:

Description of a Mission - the Mars Rover Curiosity

The landing of the Mars Rover is an incredible achievement for mankind, as well as for the United States' huge lead in interplanetary science. The mission is the largest space mission to Mars ever conducted, and has cost billions of dollars and taken a decade to materialize to this point. The landing of the Mars Rover was viewed by millions of people on the Internet, and through live streams at NASA headquarters. (NASA.gov) The scientists who have been a part of the project have been giving interviews and have become instant celebrities to space fans everywhere. In business, knowing about what is happening with the Curiosity rover is important to understanding that the world is constantly changing, and that knowing the latest news that is spreading around the world is an important aspect of learning and maintaining one's ability to be at the top of his or her game.

The latest and most advanced Mars Rover is named "Curiosity," and is the size of a small SUV. It has eight robotic arms, and is powered by a nuclear reactor.(Curiosity, Wikipedia.org) The reactor serves a dual purpose; the first being to power the rover for ten years as it travels through the extreme climate of Mars makes for a very difficult scientific mission. The second function of the nuclear battery is that of a heat source, helping Curiosity to maintain its core functions throughout the year. The previous Mars rovers had to hibernate at nighttime due to the lack of sunlight and the bitter cold outside. Curiosity will be able to conduct its scientific missions year round. The rover will be able to use onboard laser beams to analyze rock fragments. It contains several cameras to observe every second of its Martian adventure. The rover also tested a new way to land on Mars that may be vital for any future man mission to the red planet. Instead of parachuting to the surface, like the….....