What sets Curiosity apart from other Mars Rovers?

I know there have been a few great threads made about the Mars Science Lab/rover Curiosity. But I found this excellent mini documentary about it on the 'space rip' youtube page which has received far too few hits! It tells you everything you need to know about this groundbreaking mission without getting technical. It also gives you a sense of the adventure and pioneering spirit involved in making these things a reality, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.Youtube link:www.youtube.com...

If memory serves correct, I heard on the news that it will drill so far down and run on board diagnostics

marsrover.nasa.gov...

One of the main differences is it will not run on solar power, which means it can operate continuously at night and more importantly in the shadows of the crater its going to where traces of water or past life are more likely to be revealed. It also has more equipment to penetrate the surface and peer down subsurface to some degree more than before.

It will be the first of the rovers to carry on the tradition on another planet of humans polluting pristine areas with poisonous and radioactive Plutonium.

reply to post by dainoyfb


Very clever, I just had to laugh at that.