Curiosity , the Red Planet rover also known as the Mars Science Lab (MSL) arrived at its destination on August 6, 2012. We put together some curious figures on this new Martian rover.
· In order to carry and support its scientific cargo, Curiosity is 2 times longer and 5 times heavier than the Spirit or Opportunity rovers.
· The source of electrical energy for the vehicle and its scientific equipment is a multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG). It is a nuclear battery that contains 4.8 kilograms of plutonium dioxide, which is used as a heat source to generate electrical energy on board the robotic vehicle and to maintain the temperature of its internal systems during the frosty Martian nights.
· Curiosity has been hit by 5 major flare events and solar particles on the path between Earth and Mars.
· The rover reached the Martian atmosphere at a speed close to 21,000 kilometers per hour.
· Curiosity carries 10 science instruments with a total mass that is 15 times greater than the payload of science instruments on the Spirit and Opportunity vehicles. Some of the tools are the first of their kind on Mars; for example, an instrument to launch laser beams, which is used to know the elemental composition of rocks at a distance.
· Due to its mass of one ton, Curiosity was too heavy to use airbags to cushion its landing.
