Transcript Mars Rover Images

Mars Exploration Rover
Science Goals
•Determine whether Life ever arose on Mars
•Characterize the Climate of Mars
•Characterize the Geology of Mars
•Prepare for Human Exploration
In some sense, the rovers´ parts are similar to what any
living creature would need to keep it "alive" and able to
explore. The rover has:
a body: a structure that protects the rovers´ "vital organs"
brains: computers to process information
temperature controls: internal heaters, a layer of insulation,
and more
“neck” and “head”: a mast for the cameras to give the
rovers a human-scale view
eyes and other “senses”: cameras and instruments that give
the rovers information about their environment
arm: a way to extend its reach
Wheels and legs: parts for mobility
energy: batteries and solar panels
communications: antennas for "speaking" and "listening"
Size
Rover Parts
Solar panels
Mast
Navigation and
Panorama
Cameras
Antennas
Arm
The Panoramic
Camera (Pancam)
Pancam is a highresolution color stereo pair
of CCD cameras that will
be used to image the
surface and sky of Mars.
The cameras are located
on a "camera bar" that sits
on top of the mast of the
rover.
Miniature Thermal
Emission Spectrometer
(Mini-TES)
Mini-TES is an infrared
spectrometer that can
determine the mineralogy of
rocks and soils from a
distance by detecting their
patterns of thermal radiation.
All warm objects emit heat,
but different objects emit heat
differently. This variation in
thermal radiation can help
scientists identify the
minerals on Mars.
Thermal Emission (Infrared) Image
Rock Abrasion Tool
(RAT)
The Rock Abrasion Tool
is a powerful grinder,
able to create a hole 45
millimeters (about 2
inches) in diameter and
5 millimeters (0.2
inches) deep into a rock
on the Martian surface.
It is located on the
Rover arm.
The Microscopic Imager
The Microscopic Imager is
a combination of a
microscope and a CCD
camera that will provide
information on the smallscale features of Martian
rocks and soils. It will
complement the findings of
other science instruments
by producing close-up
views of surface materials.
Mössbauer Spectrometer (MB)
Many of the minerals that formed rocks on Mars contain
iron, and the soil is iron-rich. The Mössbauer
Spectrometer is an instrument that was specially
designed to study iron-bearing minerals.
Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS)
The APXS is designed to study the alpha particles and
x-rays emitted by rocks and soils in order to determine
their elemental chemistry. Alpha particles are emitted
during radioactive decay and X-rays are a type of
electromagnetic radiation, like light and microwaves.