The $2.6 billion project is set to discover life and other important issues concerning the Red Planet.
"The most important thing about our mobile laboratory is that it eats dirt - that's what we live on," John Grotzinger said.
The CheMin analytic tool of Curiosity Mars will look at the composition and minerals present in Martian soil. The dust to be tested is one of the lightest pinch of soil sample the robot has picked since it first landed on Mars.
"These are particles that travel regionally, if not globally," said Grotzinger, who also worked with California Institute of Technology. The sample should provide an idea on what makes up the soil of Mars and compare with the Earth's.
"[We're] going to be able to analyse finally, once and for all, the mineral composition of this global component – not of the local component; not of the bits and pieces of the rocks that are around [our landing site], but the stuff that swirls around the planet; and that’s why this is going to be such a cool measurement."
Last August 6, Curiosity Mars landed on the Red Planet and has been traveling 480 meters to the east and is locating the Glenelg area, which is supposed to be the three terrain junction in the planet.
Over the past weeks, Curiosity Mars have generated photographs for the study of scientist back in NASA's headquarter at Cape Canaveral.
Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20003236.
0 comments:
Post a Comment