Curiosity
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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