Curiosity Read online

  carbonaceous chondrite variety, 103–104, 214

  concerns about contamination, 213, 219

  as essential for life, 98, 103–104, 251

  search for organic carbons, 84, 100, 104, 209–10, 211, 213, 218–19, 263

  Cassini mission, 53, 67, 257

  Centaur rocket (part of second stage of MSL launch), 131

  Cernan, Gene, 74

  ChemCam, 90, 92, 93, 97, 103, 163, 189, 200, 202, 207, 214, 240

  use of on John Klein (rock), 241, 249, 250

  CheMin (Chemistry and Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction instrument), 90, 95, 96, 188, 212, 217, 231, 252, 274

  analyzing samples, 97, 206, 207, 218, 219, 248, 251, 254

  testing of, 201–202, 240

  Chen, Al, 144, 154, 159

  on development of sky crane, 144–48

  as voice of EDL, 27, 27, 143, 146, 153, 155–56, 158, 277

  Chimp (place on Mars), 193, 237

  CHIMRA (Collection and Handling for Interior Martian Rock Analysis), 94, 227–28, 237, 244, 246

  chlorine-containing substances on Mars, 217, 218–19

  chlorofluorocarbon. See Teflon contamination issue

  CHNOPS (elements need for life). See carbon on Mars, as essential for life; hydrogen as essential for life; nitrogen on Mars; oxygen as essential for life; phosphorous as essential for life; sulfur on Mars

  Chryse Planitia (Viking 1's landing spot), 130

  Clancy, Tom, 133

  clays. See water on Mars

  Collection and Handling for Interior Martian Rock Analysis. See CHIMRA

  color of Mars. See “gray Mars”; red color of Mars

  Columbia (space shuttle), 13

  Columbia Hills (in Gusev), 71

  conglomerates, 103, 204, 206, 256

  Conley, Catherine “Cassie,” 113, 114, 116–17

  contamination issues, 264

  concerns relating to carbon finds, 213, 219

  from Earth impacting Mars, 109–17

  an issue contributing to launch delay, 122

  from outer space impacting Earth, 109, 114–16

  Cook, Richard, 57, 241, 249

  Cooper, Brian, 190, 220–25, 244

  Copernicus, Nicolaus, 31

  copyright law and the naming of features on Mars, 194

  Coronation (rock blasted by ChemCam), 200–201, 239

  Cradle (rock near Sojourner), 194

  Crisp, Joy, 25, 28

  cruise stage, 138

  crushable-pallet system for landing on Mars, 140–41

  Cumberland (rock on Mars), 247, 255–56, 263–64

  confirming age of a rock on Mars, 257–58

  Curiosity (rover), 22, 138, 221, 234

  after landing, 208–16

  first drilled rock on Mars, 239–54

  first investigations and commissioning, 173–79

  going silent during solar conjunction, 254, 255

  process for obtaining samples, 232–38

  rover-driving activities, 180–90, 220–30

  strategic planning sessions on Earth, 180–90

  traveling, 198–206, 220–30, 268–72

  choosing where to land, 77, 82–88

  comparing three generations of Mars rovers, 78

  computers, 134. See also software

  “brain transplant,” 177

  computer problems, 248–49, 250, 257

  considered to be a “her” and referred to as “she,” 187

  developing the mission, 75–81

  delays encountered, 118–26

  instrumentation on board, 89–97, 90. See also individual pieces of equipment

  JPL issuing tweets signed by Curiosity, 151, 248–49

  landing of. See EDL

  need to live on Mars Time during the mission, 160–64

  power source for, 72, 79–81

  size of, 89–90, 231

  speed can travel at, 184

  testing of, 58

  sand dune testing on Earth, 47–52

  traveling from Earth to Mars, 56, 131–36

  weight of, 185

  See also Mars Science Laboratory project

  DAN (Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument), 90, 94, 163, 187

  Darwin (place on Mars), 191, 256

  Das Marsprojekt [The Mars Project] (von Braun), 35

  death ray, 93

  Death Valley, 15–22, 21, 47–52, 196–97

  decontamination. See contamination issues

  Deep Space Network (DSN), 189

  DeFlores, Lauren, 163

  Delta (in Viking landing area), 193

  Delta rocket, 59, 131

  descent. See EDL

  descent stage/rocket pack, 138

  Design Readiness Level (DRL), 58

  Dewell, Beth, 183

  Dexter (TV character), 30

  Dingo Gap (location on Mars), 258, 259, 259, 268, 268

  Discovery Program, 54, 58

  Disneyland (TV show), 35

  Doctor Who (TV series), 220

  drill, 90, 97, 103, 229, 231–38, 235, 247

  acting as a percussive drill, 232, 234, 236, 237

  drill bits

  lapse in decontamination protocols, 112–13, 114

  need for replacements, 112–13, 114, 117, 232–33, 241, 243

  impact of thermal contraction on, 240, 242–43, 244

  and possible short-circuit problem, 233–35

  Powder Acquisition Drill System (PADS), 94

  testing process, 233, 234, 235, 236

  use of to collect rock dust, 235, 237–38, 243, 246

  See also Cumberland (rock on Mars); John Klein (first drilled rock)

  drive motors, 187

  DRL (Design Readiness Level), 58

  DRT (Dust Removal Tool), 66, 77, 90, 94, 228, 232, 240, 241, 242

  D-STAR (algorithm for getting out of a maze), 225

  dust storms, 38, 41, 72, 79–80, 121, 207

  “dwarf planet,” 127

  Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons device. See DAN

  Eagle Crater (landing site for Opportunity), 69

  Earth

  Atacama Desert as close to Mars on Earth, 100

  biological pollution that could impact Mars, 109–17

  determining if rocks are result of living processes, 108

  fear of contamination from off-planet, 109, 114–16

  life-forms on Earth not thought able to survive, 76, 100, 101

  meteors from Mars hitting, 116, 117, 169, 210, 256

  theory that life on Earth originated on Mars, 116

  See also time delay for transmissions between Earth and Mars

  Eberswalde Crater, 85

  Malin and Edgett's paper on, 105–107, 141, 165, 168–71

  as possible landing site for Curiosity, 83, 84, 86

  Edgett, Ken, 21–22, 105–106, 169, 212, 218, 241–42, 249, 274

  Edgett and Malin hypotheses about water and sedimentation on Mars, 105–107, 141, 165, 168–71

  EDL (entry, descent, and landing) of Curiosity, 23–28, 27, 132, 134–36, 149–59, 159, 277

  assistance from orbiters, 165–72

  descent stage/rocket pack, 138

  diagram of, 135

  frame of live video feed of landing, 150

  landing ellipse, 134, 144, 155–56. See also Bradbury Landing

  and launch schedule, 119–20, 121, 126

  rescheduling of in 2009, 124

  official landing time, 173

  “7 Minutes of Terror” (video) documenting, 20, 25, 48, 132, 133, 135

  and the sky crane handling landing, 137–48, 147

  See also parachutes and landings on Mars

  Ehlmann, Bethany, 182, 183, 186, 188, 189

  Ekwir_1 (rock on Mars), 240

  Elachi, Charles, 146, 179

  Enceledus (a moon of Saturn), 267

  Endeavor Crater (targeted by Opportunity), 70, 71, 74

  E. T. (movie), 109

  Europa (one of Jupiter's moons), 111, 267

  European
Space Agency, 67, 167

  evidence of life. See life on Mars

  “Exobiology Strategy for Mars Exploration, the,” 101

  extremophiles, 76, 100, 101

  Faget, Max, 57

  feldspar, 202–203

  Ferdowsi, Bobak, 24, 25, 28, 148, 152–53, 158, 179

  fictional works about Mars, 34, 39

  Flammarion, Camille, 191

  Gaines, Daniel, 183, 184

  Gale Crater, 22, 114, 167, 217, 252

  analyzing samples of rocks found in, 255–58, 263–64. See also Cumberland (rock on Mars; John Klein (first drilled rock)

  aridness of, 244

  assessing the habitability of, 101–102, 218, 219

  landing-site selection process, 82–88, 85, 274

  potential rewards for exploring Gale, 87

  selecting Gale Crater, 85–86, 134, 171, 172, 274–75

  looking at sedimentation and signs of water, 83, 87, 102–103, 206, 240–41, 251, 252, 256, 263, 265, 266–67

  size of lake bed, 266–67

  temperature difference between night and day, 240

  traveling through area, 173–79, 198–207, 220–30, 255–59, 268–72. See also Glenelg; Mount Sharp

  See also EDL

  Galileo Galilei, 31, 38

  Galileo program (Jupiter), 53, 111

  Gellert, Ralf, 212

  geology on Mars, 79–80, 97, 98, 99, 106–107, 121, 165, 167

  comparison to Death Valley, 15–22

  dating rocks, 257–58, 266

  geologic history of, 260–63, 267, 274

  geology as a factor in selecting Curiosity's landing site, 83, 86, 102, 198–99, 199, 202, 239–40

  MERs looking at, 62, 62, 69, 70, 71, 73, 77

  thermal mapping, 103

  Viking looking at, 45, 60, 77, 130

  See also basalt rock; conglomerates; igneous rock; mudstone; olivine; sedimentation exploration

  geothermal vents on Earth, 76, 100, 101

  Glenelg (place on Mars), 191, 199, 239

  source of name for feature on Mars, 195–96

  trip to, 198–207

  Glimmenshorp Finkleheimer (in Death Valley), 17

  goals for Mars exploration

  to bring back samples to Earth, 257

  looking at habitability of Mars, 100–101

  for MER mission, 65, 71, 89

  for MSL mission, 71, 75, 76, 89, 97, 99–100, 101, 267

  for Pathfinder mission, 71, 89

  planetary protection, 110

  ultimate goal: crewed mission to Mars, 276

  for Viking program, 76

  Goddard Space Flight Center, 218, 252

  Goldberg, Rube, 26

  Goldilocks (place on Mars), 193

  Goldin, Daniel, 53–54

  “gray Mars” indicating conditions once favorable for life, 247, 254, 263–64, 273. See also life on Mars

  “Great Martian Mystery.” See “one for the history books”

  Griffin, Michael “Mike,” 142–43

  Griffith Observatory, 128, 128–29, 130, 149–50, 267

  Grotzinger, John, 47, 88, 108, 195, 208, 273–74

  on choosing the landing site for Curiosity, 82–85, 87, 172, 174, 175, 198, 241, 270

  on Curiosity's explorations and findings, 195, 198, 199–200, 202, 203, 204, 219, 241, 247–48, 254, 260, 263, 270–72

  impact of comment “one for the history books,” 208–16, 212, 217–19, 239

  in Death Valley, 13–22, 49, 52

  during EDL for Curiosity, 23, 25, 28, 48, 146

  on Malin and Edgett's paper on Eberswalde Crater, 105–107, 141, 169, 170

  project scientist for MSL, 98, 209

  work on the MER program, 67, 69–70

  Grumman Aerospace, 132

  Gumby (place on Mars), 193

  Gusev (crater, Spirit landing site), 69, 71

  habitability of Mars, 99–100, 263–64, 267, 273

  press release on finding conditions suitable for ancient life on Mars, 251–52, 254

  requirements for a “habitable environment,” 103

  Half Dome (rock Sojourner got stuck on), 194

  Hanna-Barbera, 193

  Hawaii, rocks found on Mars similar to those from, 203, 206

  Hazcams (hazard-avoidance cameras), 28, 91, 173–74, 174, 175, 189

  “hazing” in science, 105–106, 141

  heating, need for on Curiosity's equipment, 187

  heat shield, 59, 96, 133, 134–35, 138, 154, 155, 173

  “heat shock” as a decontamination method, 112

  hematite (iron oxide), 69, 71, 96. See also “blueberries”

  Hesperian period on Mars, 261–62

  high thermal inertia. See thermal inertia

  Hills Have Eyes, The (movie), 160

  HIRISE (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment; camera on MRO), 223, 271

  Holden Crater as possible landing site for Curiosity, 82, 83, 84, 85

  Horowitz, Norman, 44

  Horus the Red, 30

  Hottah (rock on Mars), 203–204, 239

  Huffington Post (news source), 211

  Huygens, Christian, 29

  hydrazine, 132

  hydrocarbons on Mars, 213

  hydrogen as essential for life, 95, 98, 251

  hydrogen peroxide on Mars, 213, 271

  IBM RAD6000, 66

  igneous rock, 202–203

  Inspector General “Report on NASA's Management of the Mars Science Laboratory Project,” 120–25

  instrumentation on board Curiosity, 89–97. See also individual pieces of equipment

  International Astronautical Federation, 109

  International Astronomical Union (IAU), 192–97

  International Business Times (newspaper), 210

  International Space Station, 94, 264

  Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The (movie), 109

  iron on Mars, 86, 154, 202, 247–48

  Jake Matijevic (rock on Mars), 202–203

  Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 13–14, 16, 23, 64, 148

  developing and planning the MSL mission, 75–81

  delays encountered, 118–26

  planning while Curiosity exploring, 180–90

  and the impact of the comment “one for the history books,” 208–16

  issuing tweets signed by Curiosity, 151, 248–49

  managed and operated for NASA by Caltech, 181, 219

  President Obama giving congratulations to, 179

  Space Flight Operations Facility (SFOF), 59, 148, 150–51, 181

  staff living on Mars Time during missions and projects, 160–64, 162

  summary of discoveries and information gathered, 246–54, 260–67

  See also Curiosity (rover); Mars Exploration Rovers mission; Mars Science Laboratory project; names of individual employees; Pathfinder mission

  Jimmy Cricket (place on Mars), 193

  John Carter (character), 34

  John Klein (first drilled rock), 239–45, 246–54, 250, 263–64

  providing data showing suitable conditions for ancient life on Mars, 251–52, 254

  reasons for choosing, 242

  See also “gray Mars”

  Johnson, Cadwell, 57, 143

  JPL. See Jet Propulsion Laboratory

  Jupiter (planet), 30, 53, 80, 111, 127, 206, 261, 267

  Kennedy, John F., 36, 118

  Kennedy Space Center, 123, 234

  Kepler, Johannes, 31

  Kimberley (on the way to Mount Sharp), 265, 268, 269, 270

  Kimberley, Australia, 269

  Klein, John, 241

  Kranz, Gene, 188

  landing ellipse, 79, 175

  Curiosity landing within, 26, 27, 102, 133

  MER mission, 83, 134

  not fitting a landing ellipse in Holden Crater, 83

  landing of Curiosity. See EDL

  landing radar, concerns about, 155–56

  “Landing Site Bingo,” 175

  large features on
Mars, naming of, 192

  Late Heavy Bombardment, 261

  LA Times (newspaper), 20, 210

  launch schedule, 119–20

  delays in, 126

  optimal launch window, 121

  rescheduling of in 2009, 124

  See also EDL

  leaf blower, use of to test airbag concept, 59

  Lennie (character), 30

  Levin, Gilbert, 44

  life on Mars, 97

  belief that Alan Hills meteorite contained fossils, 116–17

  conditions that once were favorable for life, 247, 251–52, 254, 263–64, 273

  early speculation, 29, 33, 38–39

  finding primary elements of, 251

  MSL not seeking life but habitability, 100–101, 121, 267

  not knowing what form life might take, 76

  and the presence of stromatolites, 17–18

  search for organics (precursors to life), 213–14, 215, 267

  press release on first Martian soil samples, 217–19

  Viking program searching for, 43, 44–45

  See also “gray Mars”; water on Mars

  Limonadi, Dan, 183, 233–35, 237–38, 243, 246

  Link (rock on Mars), 203

  Lockheed, 139

  Los Angeles Times (newspaper), 20, 210

  Lost in Space (TV series), 220

  Lowell, Percival, 32–34, 38–39, 41, 104–105, 127, 165, 192

  Lowell Observatory, 32, 38–39

  Lumpy (place on Mars), 193

  Lunakhod (Soviet Union's lunar rover), 244

  Macintosh computers and chips, 25, 50, 66, 134, 181

  Magellan Venus project, 67

  Mahaffy, Paul, 212–13, 214, 218, 252

  MAHLI (Mars Hand Lens Imager), 66, 90, 91, 92, 93, 97, 107, 172, 187, 206, 229, 233, 274

  allowing the planning of drill placement, 243, 245

  MAHLI Mosaic (collection of images), 245

  used at Rocknest, 204, 218, 219

  used to study wheel wear, 185, 187, 258

  use of with John Klein (rock), 241–42, 249, 250

  Maimone, Mark, 183

  Malin, Mike, 48, 49–50, 172

  cameras of, 22, 92, 92, 139, 144, 166, 168, 173, 178

  Malin and Edgett hypotheses about water and sedimentation on Mars, 105–107, 141, 165, 168–71

  Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS), 22, 168, 218

  Manning, Robert (Rob), 24, 47, 55, 68, 130, 250–51

  on development of sky crane, 137–43

  on the drill, 131, 233, 236

  during EDL, 25, 26–27, 28, 146, 154, 155, 158, 175

  remembering the Pathfinder project, 54–60

  mapping of Mars, 31, 32, 38, 41, 42, 78, 85, 103, 168, 191–92

  Curiosity mapping efforts, 175, 176–77, 186, 207, 222, 223, 224–25, 239, 249, 263

  MERs mapping efforts, 73, 74, 176, 223

  orbital mapping of Mars, 42, 45, 77–78, 79, 130, 165