This Week in History

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CWA # 1437, 10 August 2024
This Week in History
06 August 1912: NASA’s Curiosity lands on Mars

  Prajwal T V

On 06 August 2012, NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission landed the rover Curiosity in Gale Crater on Mars. Using advanced precision landing technology, Curiosity became the first mobile laboratory capable of exploring Mars' surface. The rover's primary mission was to investigate whether the conditions in the Gale Crater could have supported microbial life in Mars' past and to search for clues about the planet's environmental history preserved in its rocks. The MSL mission was launched on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on 26 November 2011. 

The Journey to Mars 
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission aimed to land Curiosity safely on Mars to understand the planet's habitability. NASA had selected the name “Curiosity” from the entry of a 12-year-old Clara Ma from Sunflower Elementary School, Kansas, USA through a nationwide student contest in which she wrote, “Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone's mind. It makes me get out of bed in the morning and wonder what surprises life will throw at me that day. Curiosity is such a powerful force. Without it, we wouldn't be who we are today. Curiosity is the passion that drives us through our everyday lives. We have become explorers and scientists with our need to ask questions and to wonder.” She won the opportunity to sign on the rover during its assembly process.  

The selection of the Gale Crater as the landing site was the result of a long process involving more than 100 scientists evaluating over 30 potential sites using detailed examinations by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and earlier orbiters, along with the mission's capability to land with unprecedented precision within a target area only about 20 kilometres long. This precision allowed scientists to choose a scientifically rich site close to the crater wall and Mount Sharp, the central peak within the crater. 

The mission had four objectives. First, assessing the biological potential of the target habitat by looking at organic carbon molecules and the chemical building blocks of life. Second, assessing the geology through the composition and formation processes of surface materials. Third, investigating planetary processes linked to past habitability, such as water's role and atmospheric development. Finally, detecting surface radiation, including cosmic radiation and solar proton events, to better understand the radiation environment. 

The Curious Case of Curiosity 
Curiosity's landing was a technological marvel. Engineers designed the spacecraft to steer itself through Mars' atmosphere using S-curve manoeuvres similar to those used by astronauts piloting NASA’s space shuttles. After eight months of space journey from Earth, in the final three minutes of descent, the spacecraft used a parachute to slow its fall, followed by retrorockets mounted around its upper stage. In the last seconds, the upper stage acted as a sky crane, lowering Curiosity on a tether to land on its wheels. 

Curiosity carried an advanced suite of scientific instruments, more than ten times as massive as those used by earlier Mars rovers such as Sojourner, Spirit and Opportunity. Within the first eight months of its 23-month primary mission, Curiosity achieved its main objective by finding evidence of a past environment suitable for microbial life. The rover's investigations included studying the geology and environment of selected areas in the crater and analysing samples drilled from rocks or scooped from the ground. Curiosity's successful landing and subsequent scientific findings have significantly aided our understanding of Mars and the broader field of planetary science. 

Curiosity's early investigations provided evidence of ancient streambeds in Gale Crater. Rounded pebbles and conglomerate rocks at the landing site were signs of past water flow. The samples revealed minerals such as clay that form in neutral pH water, a conducive environment for life. It also detected organic molecules in Martian soil, raising the possibility that Mars could have supported life or still harbours life in some form.  

The MSL mission altogether involved over 400 scientists across the world showcasing the importance of international collaboration in space exploration. Russian and Spanish contributions including scientific instruments showed the global nature of this mission. Curiosity's findings have guided the planning and selection of landing sites for future Mars missions, including those aimed at returning samples to Earth. The rover's success has also inspired plans for human exploration of Mars, with NASA and other space agencies using Curiosity's data to design missions that ensure astronaut safety. 

Curiosity's mission has captured the imagination of people worldwide, reigniting interest in space exploration. The rover's iconic images and discoveries have become a symbol of human curiosity and ingenuity. The mission has provided valuable educational opportunities, with students and researchers around the globe studying Curiosity's data and findings. The rover's success has encouraged the next generation of scientists and engineers to pursue careers in space exploration. Curiosity's ongoing mission continues to uncover new insights about Mars, contributing to our understanding of the planet's history and its potential to support life. As the rover explores the lower layers of Mount Sharp, researchers anticipate further discoveries about Mars' transition from a wetter past to its current arid state. The legacy of Curiosity extends beyond its scientific achievements, symbolising humanity's enduring quest to explore the unknown and expand our knowledge of the universe as a whole. 

About the author 
Prajwal TV is an Undergraduate student of Journalism, International Relations, and Peace Studies at St Joseph’s University, Bengaluru.

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