Curiosity rover solar panels

Why does curiosity not have solar panels?

Hi I’m Ashwin Vasavada the Deputy Project Scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory mission and its Curiosity rover. So a lot of people wonder why Curiosity doesn’t have solar panels like the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The Mars Exploration Rovers often found themselves short on power as dust settled on their solar panels.

Could NASA's Curiosity rover go on Mars?

When the Curiosity rover was being developed, NASA wanted more flexibility in where the rover could potentially go on Mars. Here’s Sabah Bux again. [25:12] Sabah Bux: The nice thing about using RTGs is they can go where solar can’t – for example, the higher latitudes of Mars where there’s less sunlight for part of the year.

Why did NASA extend the Curiosity rover?

And it’s pushed a team of engineers to devise ways to minimize wear and tear and keep the rover rolling: In fact, Curiosity’s mission was recently extended for another three years, allowing it to continue among NASA’s fleet of important astrobiological missions.

How does Curiosity rover work?

It’s been a busy decade. Curiosity has studied the Red Planet’s skies, capturing images of shining clouds and drifting moons. The rover’s radiation sensor lets scientists measure the amount of high-energy radiation future astronauts would be exposed to on the Martian surface, helping NASA figure out how to keep them safe.

Where did NASA's Curiosity Mars rover take a 360-degree panorama?

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover took this 360-degree panorama at a drill site nicknamed “Avanavero” on June 20, 2022, the 3,509th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

How do solar panels work on Mars?

NASA’s first three Mars rovers – Sojourner, Spirit, and Opportunity – used solar panels to gather light energy, or photons, from the Sun. The rovers exploring Mars today – Curiosity and Perseverance – use a system called a “Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator,” or RTG. Sabah Bux: Yeah, because here on Earth we can plug in.