quote:
Op woensdag 8 augustus 2012 11:21 schreef Pietverdriet het volgende:Even afgezien dat het gewoon apentietengeile technologie is, de Sky Crane, een rover formaat van een compacte auto op mars neerzetten met een nucleaire batterij die het voor tijden van stroom voorziet, wat voor een meerwaarde brengt deze missie? Wat voor een testen en probes kan hij doen die voorgaande niet konden? Ik begreep dat er veel geologische experimenten mogelijk gaan worden, maar is er een overzicht wat hij gaat doen?
wiki:
The MSL mission has four scientific goals: Determine whether Mars could ever have supported life — including the role of water, study the climate and geology of Mars. It is also useful preparation for future missions, perhaps a manned mission to Mars.
To contribute to these goals, MSL has six main scientific objectives:[13][33]
Determine the mineralogical composition of the Martian surface and near-surface geological materials.
Attempt to detect chemical building blocks of life (biosignatures).
Interpret the processes that have formed and modified rocks and soils.
Assess long-timescale (i.e., 4-billion-year) Martian atmospheric evolution processes.
Determine present state, distribution, and cycling of water and carbon dioxide.
Characterize the broad spectrum of surface radiation, including galactic radiation, cosmic radiation, solar proton events and secondary neutrons.
As part of its exploration, it also measured the radiation exposure in the interior of the spacecraft as it traveled to Mars, and it is continuing radiation measurements as it explores the surface of Mars. This data would be important for a future manned mission.[34]
met onder andere de volgende instrumenten:
ChemCam: ChemCam is a suite of remote sensing instruments, including the first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system to be used for planetary science and a remote micro-imager (RMI).
See also: Curiosity rover#Chemistry and Camera complex (ChemCam)
Alpha-particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS): This device can irradiate samples with alpha particles and map the spectra of X-rays that are re-emitted for determining the elemental composition of samples.
See also: APXS)
CheMin: CheMin is the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence instrument.
See also: CheMin)
Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM): The SAM instrument suite will analyze organics and gases from both atmospheric and solid samples.
Main article: Sample Analysis at Mars
See also: SAM
MSL's cruise stage on Earth
Radiation assessment detector (RAD): This instrument was the first of ten MSL instruments to be turned on. Both en route and on the planet's surface, it will characterize the broad spectrum of radiation encountered in the Martian environment. Turned on after launch, it recorded several radiation spikes caused by the Sun.[61]
See also: RAD
Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN): A pulsed neutron source and detector for measuring hydrogen or ice and water at or near the Martian surface.
See also: DAN
Rover environmental monitoring station (REMS): Meteorological package and an ultraviolet sensor provided by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science.
See also: Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)