Curiosity's first, short test trip on Mars successful
Source: Agencies |
August 24, 2012, Friday
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CURIOSITY took its first test drive around the gravel-strewn Martian terrain on Wednesday, preparation for the ultimate road trip to find out if the red planet's environment could have supported life.
The six-wheel NASA rover did not stray far from the spot where it landed over two weeks ago. It rolled forward about 4.5 meters, rotated to a right angle and reversed a short distance, leaving tracks on the ancient soil.
Mission managers were ecstatic that the maiden voyage of the US$2.5 billion mission was glitch-free.
"It couldn't be more important," said project manager Peter Theisinger at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We built a rover. So unless the rover roves, we really haven't accomplished anything ... It's a big moment."
The rover's ultimate destination is Mount Sharp, a towering mountain that looms from the ancient crater floor. Signs of past water have been spotted at the base, which provides a starting point to hunt for the chemical building blocks of life.
Before that, Curiosity will take a detour to an intriguing spot 400 meters away where it will drill into bedrock. It is expected to stay at its new position for several days before making its first big drive - a trip that will take as long as a month and a half. Curiosity won't head to Mount Sharp until year's end.
Rover driver Matt Heverly said the first drive took about 16 minutes with most of the time used to take pictures. Heverly said the wheels did not sink much into the ground, which appeared firm. "We should have smooth sailing ahead of us," he said.
The nuclear-powered rover has been tracking levels of dangerous radiation on Mars in an effort to guide future astronaut landings. It also powered up its weather station, taking hourly readings of air and ground temperatures, pressure and wind conditions.
The six-wheel NASA rover did not stray far from the spot where it landed over two weeks ago. It rolled forward about 4.5 meters, rotated to a right angle and reversed a short distance, leaving tracks on the ancient soil.
Mission managers were ecstatic that the maiden voyage of the US$2.5 billion mission was glitch-free.
"It couldn't be more important," said project manager Peter Theisinger at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We built a rover. So unless the rover roves, we really haven't accomplished anything ... It's a big moment."
The rover's ultimate destination is Mount Sharp, a towering mountain that looms from the ancient crater floor. Signs of past water have been spotted at the base, which provides a starting point to hunt for the chemical building blocks of life.
Before that, Curiosity will take a detour to an intriguing spot 400 meters away where it will drill into bedrock. It is expected to stay at its new position for several days before making its first big drive - a trip that will take as long as a month and a half. Curiosity won't head to Mount Sharp until year's end.
Rover driver Matt Heverly said the first drive took about 16 minutes with most of the time used to take pictures. Heverly said the wheels did not sink much into the ground, which appeared firm. "We should have smooth sailing ahead of us," he said.
The nuclear-powered rover has been tracking levels of dangerous radiation on Mars in an effort to guide future astronaut landings. It also powered up its weather station, taking hourly readings of air and ground temperatures, pressure and wind conditions.
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