Walk-Up into JPL's Space Craft Assembly Room

I was lucky enough to be one of 120 people selected to participate in the 2011 JPL NASA Tweetup on June 6th, 2011. Towards the end of the day we got to the Spacecraft Assembly Room, where just about every robotic space exploration spacecraft used by NASA has been made.

In it is Mars Curiosity, the next mars rover. It weighs 2,000lbs and is the size of a Mini Cooper, so large that an airbag system wouldn't work ofr it, so JPL developed the skycrane descent lander system, which is to Curiosity's right.

This was my fourth time see Curiosity and second time seeing it full assembled (sans RTG - the nuclear decay powered battery, they add that on just before the launch per security reasons).

To see an awesome animation about MSL, it's landing system and the amazing science it will do, check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BudlaGh1A0o

Category:

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[ageekmom]

Soon, she will be riding a rocket enroute to Mars! Awesome.