“Curiosity is the passion that drives us through our everyday lives”
- Clara Ma, 11 years old
On August 5th , 2012, the world watched as history was made, when a car-sized robotic rover named Curiosity landed flawlessly on Mars. Those people watched from their own televisions, in Times Square, or, for one lucky teenager: with the actual NASA crew! In 2009, Clara Ma wrote a contest-winning essay on Curiosity that resulted in the naming of the rover and since then she has been present for all the biggest moments in the development of Curiosity! The now 15 year old is currently watching from Earth while the machine begins its two year mission exploring Mars to determine if the planet ever supported life and prepare for human exploration in the future. Equipped with some of the most advanced technology in the world, Curiosity even has a laser that is used to determine the chemical compound of rocks from 30 feet away! This ChemCam technology is a state-of-the-art way of testing for signs of previous life on Mars! Though Curiosity is still testing its many high-tech features, it will soon begin its journey to the first of two sites within the Gale Crater: Gleneg, then on to Mount Sharp. Stay tuned for the amazing discoveries this well-named vessel will be making over the next two years!
Filed under: Current Events, Family Fun, Just for Fun
[…] come out in next week’s issue! But the fun doesn’t stop there! Issue #1 featured details on the Mars rover, a showcase of the space stations newest hyper cycles additions, and even an exclusive interview […]