An interesting Reddit AmA with the Nasa’s Curiosity Mars Rover team on the occasion of the rover’s third “landiversary”, resulted in quite a few interesting answers. But the answer that surprised everyone was that the rover has travelled for only 11 kilometers in its three years of exploration.
But when you think of the thoroughness of the rover’s research, and the time it needs to recharge, its pace is understandable. The rover has unearthed incredible discoveries — that there might be life on Mars. Deputy project scientist Joy Crisp says “Someday we might find life deeper on Mars. The environment on the surface of Mars today is quite harsh, but if life exists on Mars, it would be protected from radiation at depth and liquid water could be stable.”
People wanted to know what discoveries team members were excited about. Team member Fred Calef notes that almost all of the rocks the Curiosity has driven over were “water deposited”, and public engagement representative Carolina cites the organic carbon found in Mars rocks as a surprise.
According to the team, Curiosity has already well surpassed its expected lifespan of one year. And Curiosity is going to be the blueprint for another rover that will launch in 2020.
— Source: motherboard.vice.com
