NASA explains how to keep curiosity in running, after 13 years

Thirteen years ago, curiosity fell to Mars, inside the Gale Crater in particular. It was originally sent to Red Planet on a two -year mission, but it was extended indefinitely after only a few months of its operations. ROOR has several goals, most of which aim to help scientists determine whether Mars can support life in the past. Although it is still operational and great knowledge, NASA was forced to make adjustments and give it new capabilities to ensure its continuation.

in A new job celebrates On the thirteenth anniversary of Rover, NASA’s jet laboratory detailed the updates that the curiosity team had to implement. First of all, the team runs the daily energy budget in Rover with great care to ensure that it can do its job and last longer. See, curiosity uses an energy system called MMRTG, which depends on the degradation of the Plloonium Kneels to generate energy. As Blloonium decomposes over time, it takes longer and longer for the system to recharge the Rover battery.

For this reason, the team is now precisely factors in each device that depends on batteries. They unify the curiosity tasks to shorten the time that Rover is also active to reduce the energy used. For example, the ground team tells the curiosity of speaking to orbit while driving or moving its automatic arm rather than doing one task at a time. If Rover ends its tasks early, you can sleep early and rechar for the next day, which JPL says to the increase of MMRTG.

Over the past years, NASA has also made updates to change how to collect samples Rover and improve driving capabilities. JPL has developed an algorithm to reduce corrosion on Rover wheels, too, so that it can last longer.

Since the time when the curiosity of Mars fell, he gave us multiple discoveries and new information. He – she Discover organic molecules In the atmosphere of Mars and soil, “amazingly high” was discovered Methan levels This gas usually produced by life as we know, and found evidence of Old Megafloods On the red planet. Water, as you know, can indicate the existence of life.