Meet NASA's Nuclear-Powered Mars Rover, Dubbed Curiosity

Posted on Sunday, July 24 2011 @ 22:40 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck

Curiosity is about the size of a mini cooper and is four times more heavy than the Spirit and Opportunity which were launched in 2004. The Curiosity also comes with a larger robot arm, a laser that can split rocks, a weather station, and a percussive drill for drilling rocks. Unlike the Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity also has on board 10.5 pounds of plutonium-238! Yes, Curiosity is nuclear-powered instead of solar powered like the previous rovers. No sun is required to power the systems on board.

Read more at TechTribune.

About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.

Loading Comments

Share this story!