A little more than three months ago, the Mars rover Curiosity landed on the surface of the Red Planet. Since then, the data collected and transmitted back to Earth has the world's leading scientists very intrigued.
The goal of the mission is to collect and analyze samples from the planet that will offer insight into its history, how conditions have changed over time, whether or not it could have supported life at any point and what astronauts might encounter on a future manned-mission to Mars.
Two technology systems on Curiosity are currently helping us get a better understanding of each of these areas. The Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument uses a series of sensors to collect data about changes in air pressure, wind direction and speed, temperatures and ultraviolet light reaching the surface, according to a NASA press release.
At the same time, Curiosity's Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) is monitoring high-energy radiation that could pose health risks to astronauts. This data could reveal whether or not microbes could survive on Mars, NASA says.
Innovative joining methods for metals have enabled the rover to be outfitted with these and other systems currently strolling the planet's surface. They are also equipped with cutting-edge sensors that are collecting this valuable information for the best and brightest minds of our world to analyze.
Thanks to the work being done today, dreams of space exploration and the adventures science can offer are alive and well in today's youth. As our technologies continue to evolve, the distance between us and Mars will shrink – not in terms of actual miles, but in our minds and what we are capable of achieving.