Mars Science Laboratory

Astrophysics (Index)

About

Mars Science Laboratory

(MSL) (mission to Mars with rover)

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a NASA mission to Mars with a rover, Curiosity. It landed on Mars in 2012 and remains active in 2024. Instruments on Curiosity:

MastCam (aka MasCam) - Mast Camera.
ChemCam - Chemistry and Camera complex.
Navcams - Navigation cameras.
REMS - Rover Environmental Monitoring Station.
hazcams - Hazard avoidance cameras.
APXS - Alpha particle X-ray Spectrometer.
SAM - Sample Analysis at Mars.
DRT - Dust Removal Tool.
RAD - Radiation assessment detector.
DAN - Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons.
MARDI - Mars Descent Imager.
Robotic arm.

SAM is made up of:

SAM-QMS - Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer.
SAM QC - Gas Chromatograph.
SAM-TLS - Tunable Laser Spectrometer.

MSL was landed in Gale Crater to explore it and the mountain in the middle, Mount Sharp (aka Aeolis Mons).

(space,Mars,NASA) Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curiosity_(rover)
https://pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/missions/msl/
https://an.rsl.wustl.edu/help/Content/About%20the%20mission/MSL/MSL%20mission.htm
https://pds-ppi.igpp.ucla.edu/mission/Mars_Science_Laboratory
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/14715-the-technology-of-curiosity
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/msl-curiosity/science-instruments/
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012SSRv..170....5G/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006JSpRo..43..257L/abstract
Referenced by pages:
CSA
Gale Crater
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
Mars
Mars 2020
MMRTG

Index