1. Mars and Curiosity Rover
Metka Batič

2. Mars Red planet – iron oxide Thin atmosphere Large temperature changes
Olympus Monds
Red planet – iron oxide
Thin atmosphere
Large temperature changes
No magnet field – radiation
2 Moons: Phobos, Deimos
687 Earth days = 1 Mars year
Valles Marineris
Barealis Basin

3. Exploration Since 1960 were 50 attempts of which 21 succeded
In forms of orbiters, landers and rovers
Currently: 6 in orbit: 2001 Mars Odyssey
2003 Mars Express
2005 Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter 
2013 MAVEN
2013 Mars Orbiter Mission
2016 Exo Mars Trace Gas Orbiter
2 on surface: 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity
2011 Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity

4. Curiosity Rover Mass of 899kg In length is 2,9m; width 2,7m;
height 2,2m
Wheel diameter is 0,5m
Average speed 30m/h
8 years to build
Mission: exploring existance of life:
search of water,
study chemical structure, geology,
study weather, radiation

5. Landing – Sky Crane Technology

6. Motors 43 DC Motors, part of them are brushless DC motors (ECM)
Maxon motors: small, withstand temperature from -120 to 25°C, high efficient up to 90%, used for driving, robotic arm, drilling, camera …
Electronically commutated motors have variable speed control, longer lives, high efficiency up to 80%, used for data communications

7. Power Supply
MMRTG – Multi Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Genegator
Heat source: decay of 8 radioisotope Plutonium- 238, each 250W
Thermocouples: 2 dissimilar, electric conductive materials which are joined in a closed circle, 2 junctions are kept at different temperatures
Inefficient: 2000W thermal power in 125W electrical power, 6,25%
It charges 2 rechargable Lithium-ion batteries

8. Gears: Harmonic Drive System
Highly precise, backlash free gear therefore capable of repeating the moment fast
Small, light, efficient, quiet

9. Computer
Hardware: 2 RAD750 boards, each: 256kB of EEPROM, 256MB of DRAM, 2GB of flash memory, 200MHz CPU
Software: operating system VxWorks
Functioning code written in C language
Processor immune to radiation, but limited performance
After landing were all no-longer- needed files deleted
Signal can travel directly to Earth or first to Satelite and then faster to Earth (14min)

10. Instruments Mast Camera (Mastcam) Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)
Mars Descent Imager (MARDI)
Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS)
Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam)
Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction/
X-Ray Fluorescence Instrument (CheMin)
Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite
Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD)
Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN)
Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)
Mars Science Laboratory Entry Descent and Landing Instrument
(MEDLI)

11. Discoveries
Curiosity found carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur, which are all necessar for life.
Organic carbon indicates that raw ingredients for life to get started existed once.
Background level of atmospheric methane was detected.
Radiation dangerous to astronauts.
Atmosphere contains isotopes of hydrogen, carbon and argon.
Smooth and rounded rocks.

12. Thank you for your attention 