Curiosity
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory
What is it?
Why?
How does it work?
Body
The body is an insulated chamber that protects the computers that power the rover. It is raised high above the ground to eliminate the risk of a rock hitting the body and damaging the rover.
Mast
Curiosity's mast carries seven of it's cameras, of which there are 17 total. It has a laser that can vaporize rocks and analyze what the vapor contains to see if the specimen is worth testing up close.
REMS
Stands for Rover Environmental Monitoring Station. The REMS can measure and record changes in temperatures, air pressure, humidity, air flow, and ultraviolet radiation.
MARDI
Stands for Mars Descent Imager. This Camera shot color-footage of Curiosity's descent into martian atmosphere. It shows Curiosity's landing spot and helped assist in planning of it's tasks.
Arm
Curiosity's arm is 7 feet (2.1 meters) long and functions similar to a human arm in the sense that it has multiple joints. These joints include a figurative shoulder, wrist, and elbow.
Hand
Also called the Turret. It contains multiple tools including a brush, scoop, camera, drill, and two special tools. One tool is used to detect signs of alterations due to water, and the other to find traces of carbon.
Back
Curiosity's back contains a sundial, observation tray, and various antennas and communication devices.
Tail
There are two features on Curiosity's back. One is the power source, and the others are two cameras on each side of the rover's behind in order to protect the power source when travelling in reverse.
Wheels and Legs
This is Curiosity's mobility system. The legs are made of titanium tubing and are built to withstand harsh conditions. The wheels are made of aluminum with modifications such as cleats and springs for support and traction.
In Conclusion...
Bibliography
O'Donnel, Franklin. "Space Probe." AccessScience. McGraw Hill Education, 2012. Web. 24 May 2013. <http://www.accessscience.com/content/Space-probe/639300#639300FG0200>.
"Mars Science Laboratory: Curiosity Rover." NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Government of USA, Web. 24 May 2013. <http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/>.
"PIA16925: Mars Stereo View from "John Klein" to Mount Sharp ." NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Government of USA, Web. 24 May 2013. <http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16925>.
Couts, Andrew. "Curiosity Mars Rover: Five Surprising Facts." Digital Trends. 6 Aug. 2012. Web. 24 May 2013. <http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/curiosity-mars-rover-5-surprising-facts/>.