Wednesday, November 16, 2011

NASA Mars Curiosity Rover: Mission Video



Plutonium powered and as big as an SUV, NASA's Curiosity rover is crammed with souped-up sensors and a new sky-crane landing system

Download: Printable Curiosity PDF poster (also available as a high-res JPEG image)

THE flying-saucer-shaped probe hurtles through space, firing thrusters and flinging off weights to point its heat shield forwards for the scorching trip through Mars's atmosphere. 

Once it has slowed, the heat shield drops away and, 10 kilometres above the surface, a parachute billows out. More weights are jettisoned, pointing the craft's radar-tipped belly towards the fast-approaching ground.

No comments:

Post a Comment