AlHijjah 27, 1432, Nov 23, 2011, SPA - The newest National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Mars rover, scheduled for launch on Saturday, is far bigger and more sophisticated than its predecessors. The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), unofficially called Curiosity, has a 2-meter arm tipped with a jackhammer and a laser to break through the Martian rock, as well as advanced laboratory equipment to analyze rocks and soil. Once on Mars, Curiosity will seek organic, carbon-containing compounds. While the rover cannot actually detect the presence of living organisms, scientists hope to learn from the $2.5 billion nuclear-powered mission whether Mars has or had microbial life. Curiosity will be “the largest and most complex piece of equipment even placed on the surface of another planet,” said Doug McCuistion, the director of the NASA Mars exploration program. Nearly as big as a car, Curiosity is about twice the size of previous rovers Spirit and Opportunity, weighs 1 ton, and is loaded with 10 science instruments. The rover is scheduled to arrive at the Gale Crater next August, more than eight months after starting the 570 million kilometer voyage from Earth. The journey to Mars is dangerous, and many previous exploration efforts have failed. In total, nearly 40 missions have aimed for Mars, and fewer than half have succeeded. Of the efforts, only one lander is still operational on the planet-Opportunity-and only three craft are observing Mars from orbit.
