Radioactive, laser equipped Mars rover flies Saturday

NASA will launch the largest and most advanced Mars rover on Saturday. The rover, Curiosity is loaded with experiments to determine if Mars has ever been suitable for life. 

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL (Catholic Online) - NASA says the rover isn't intended to answer the actual questions about life on Mars, but rather it will determine if Mars has ever been suitable for life, information that will guide future missions. 

Curiosity is expected to spend two years roving the surface of Mars, taking photographs and conducting experiments. Chiefly, the probe will search for evidence of liquid water, and other chemicals and energy sources used by organisms.

Curiosity is twice the size of the famous twin mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity and it weighs five times as much as the old craft.

The rover features a seven-foot tall mast from which it can take pictures, and a laser that can zap rocks to create sparks which can be studied for composition. The rover also has a 7 foot arm that can grab soil samples for analysis. 

The craft is powered by a radioisotope generator instead of solar panels. The radioactive power source will spare the rover from the vagaries of the faint sunshine and the Martian dust storms which can cause a loss of power for solar-powered craft.

The launch is scheduled for 10:02 am EST, and although there is a launch window of nearly two hours, such rockets usually launch on the first second of the window unless there is a technical or safety concern. 

Curiosity will be cast aloft by the venerable and reliable Atlas V rocket, one of the most powerful workhorses in the Atlas fleet. After launch, it will cruise through space and land in the Gale Crater in August 2012. 

Should Saturday's launch be delayed, NASA has until December 18 to fly the mission. After that date, the Earth and Mars will not be in the proper configuration to ensure a short trip between the two planets. Earth, being closer to the Sun, has a much shorter year than Mars, and will catch up to, then alternatively  pull away from the red planet in its orbit. For this reason, the launch date is chosen years in advance to keep the trip as short as possible.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'