NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory is on its way. In a little more than a month, the 1-ton rover, whichlaunched in November, will descend to the Martian surface.
The nuclear-powered robot is designed to make spectacular new discoveries about the Red Planet. It will drill and analyze the Martian soil to search for signs of water, past or present, and determine whether or not the planet was ever able to support life.
MSL dwarfs its immediate predecessors, the rovers Spirit and Opportunity and could almost crush the first Martian rover, Sojourner, beneath one wheel. Bringing a robot this large down safely necessitates anever-before-attempted landing system, though the increased size has let scientists pack 10 state-of-the-art instruments aboard and should allow the robot to rove farther than any before.
via Wired
