http://socraticmama.com/ [Inspiration & Support for Secular Families]
Animation of mission starting from entry into the Martian atmosphere in August 2012
http://www.youtube.com/user/JPLnews#p/u
http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia15101.html
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Suite on board the rover addresses the present & past habitability of Mars. SAM has three instruments:
Mass Spectrometer (QMS)
Gas Chromatograph (GC) &
Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS)
Details here: http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.gov/Instruments/SAM/
Sat, 26 Nov 2011 Liftoff was on time at 1002 hrs EST from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
It separated, exactly as planned, from the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that started it on its journey to the Red Planet.
what is it doing with the soil sample?will that be recovered, or does it analyze it there and send data to earth?
practicalmagic9 2 months ago
@practicalmagic9 @practicalmagic9 Only data leaves Mars. The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Suite addresses the present & past habitability of Mars. SAM has 3 instruments: Mass Spectrometer (QMS), Gas Chromatograph (GC) & Tunable Laser Spectrometer (TLS). Details in SAM link below the video.
nightjarflying 2 months ago