It has a very long name in English - Mars Science Laboratory - but everyone called Curiosity. This is the latest creation sent by NASA to explore the red planet. Although seemingly a small motorized robot with wheels, the truth is that its design is pretty close to what could be the next SUVs that are sent to Mars... not before 2030. The cost? An investment of nearly 2,000 million euros.

Powered by an electric motor, which recharges with nuclear energy, is the first spacecraft to land on Mars, Curiosity, is scheduled to be operational one year Earth-Mars. While at it, this mill, which has landed in the Gale Crater, photographed Mars and analyze Martian soil different substrates.

The great success of NASA's Curiosity is that it is a wit-road heavy triple - 899 kilos, with 80 of instrumentation and twice as large as a Smart - 2.7 meters. With metal wheels, able to obtain maximum traction in Martian soil, this creation has been prepared to overcome obstacles up to 75 centimeters in height and reach a top speed of 90 meters / hour , although the average is 30.

Thus, during its tour will travel a total of 19 kilometers, or 200 meters each day, a record for a space mission. Among its main objectives is the ascent to Mount Sharp, a Martian mountain about 5,000 meters, with layers of sediment billion years ago and precious information about the planet's past. For this, the Curiosity has a sophisticated guidance system that will move by Mars by remote control, according to the needs of more than 400 scientists participating in the mission from the control center over two years.

Therefore, by the Curiosity, the most analytical instruments have been transported to Mars - 16 times more than their predecessors and will take dozens of samples of soil and rock dust, in addition to investigating the possibility that Mars might harbor life in the future -for this, should be evidence of water.

This is precisely one of its main objectives: to provide geological information and to prepare the way for a possible human mission to Mars. And, according to NASA officials, "in the middle of the decade of the 30" the man should get to Mars. A very difficult objective given that the space agency's budget was cut almost by half in recent years.

via:autofacil.es