Scientists tested out Scarecrow, a model of the new Mars rover, in California’s Mojave Desert.
Visitors to California’s Mojave Desert might expect to see off-road vehicles racing over sand dunes at high speed. This May, however, they could have seen something unusual cruising through the desert—a model of the new Mars rover, named Scarecrow. Scientists were using the model to practice guiding the rover on the surface of Mars. The Dumont Dunes of the Mojave Desert are similar to the windy, sandy terrain of Mars.
In November 2011, NASA launched a rocket carrying a new rover named Curiosity. It is scheduled to land on Mars on August 6, 2012. Once it arrives, scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory will monitor and control Curiosity from Earth. Its mission will be to explore an area of Mars that might once have held water. The rover is built with arms, cameras, and sensors to examine Martian rocks. Scientists are hoping the rover will find evidence that life once existed on Mars.
While Curiosity was soaring towards Mars, NASA scientists were practicing with Scarecrow in the Mojave Desert. They know they will have to treat the rover carefully. After all, Mars is millions of miles from Earth. If Curiosity breaks down or gets stuck, nobody can go out and fix it.
As Scarecrow rolled over the dunes in May, scientists watched how its cameras and sensors picked up information. They also tested how it handled different kinds of slopes and sandy ground. When Curiosity arrives on Mars in August, they will be ready to guide it in search of new discoveries on the red planet.
Image credit: ©Gene Blevins/Reuters Picture Archive
Related Link
- Scarecrow Slideshow
Watch a slideshow of NASA scientists testing Scarecrow in the Mojave Desert.
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