NEWS | November 19, 2008
A Precious Ring
Just as jewelry makers take care to set a gem in a ring, a tireless team has been working late hours to tuck the Mars Science Laboratory rover inside its intricate, protective aeroshell and mount it for the first time on a giant gold "ring" (the cruise structure).
The "ring" has sparkling space blankets, glittering solar panels, and a radiator to keep its precious cargo at just the right temperature during its journey to Mars. It also has thrusters that will fire with fuel from its titanium tanks, adjusting the rover's flight path for an on-target arrival.
The team will continue its expert creativity, craftsmanship, and calculations. At both the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Kennedy Space Center, the prized pieces will be taken apart, tested, and put back together again before launch. That level of artisanship helps ensure the ring and its gem of a rover will make it safely to Mars.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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