Robotic Observatories & Rovers
Curiosity Rover (MSL)
Vehicle: Atlas V | Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Scientific Instrumentation Payload
Curiosity is a car-sized Mars rover containing 10 scientific instruments designed to perform geochemical analysis on rocks, soil, and atmosphere.
Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam)
Fires a laser at rock surfaces to analyze vaporized rock plasma composition.
Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)
A suite of gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, and laser spectrometer to search for organic molecules.
Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin)
Uses X-ray diffraction to identify mineral structures in powdered rock samples.
Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)
Microscopic camera mounted on the robotic arm to take close-up photos of minerals.
Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS)
Measures abundance of chemical elements in rocks and soil.