The Curiosity spacecraft, which was sent to Mars last November, has finally successfully landed on the Red Planet. For two years, he will have to study the features of Mars, and, perhaps, will be able to answer the question of whether life exists there.
On August 5, Curiosity successfully completed a landing near the largest crater on Mars, Gale, in which the deep layers of the soil are clearly visible, revealing the geological history of this planet. And I have already managed to take several pictures of this natural attraction.
However, in the future, the Curiosity apparatus will have to do a very important job - to carry out a full-fledged analysis of Martian soils, looking for organic molecules in them. To prepare him for this, from August 10 to 13, NASA engineers performed a full software update on Curiosity computers. Fortunately, the operating system of the device is designed in such a way as to leave only those programs that are needed at the moment.
So, instead of programs for landing, special image processing functions were installed for automatic recognition of obstacles in order to carry out autonomous trips around the planet. Another important update is the function for the manipulator arm, which allows the precise use of special tools built into the arm (a spatula for collecting dust samples, a small drill, etc.). Thanks to her, Curiosity will be able to collect samples of soil, soil, stones and deliver them to the interior for detailed chemical analysis.
NASA engineers are now studying the images of Gale Crater in detail to decide where to send Curiosity once all the devices have been checked and installed. The first trip to Mars is scheduled in a week, and the entire device will have to stay on the planet for about two years.
The Mars Science Laboratory project, of which the Curiosity spacecraft is a part, is considered the most expensive in the history of the American space agency. It has already spent $ 2.5 billion. However, perhaps it is he who will help to better study the mysterious Red Planet and finally answer the question of the existence of life on Mars.
