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Astrobiology: Latest News


2002-05-03 | MISSIONS, TECHNOLOGIES
Sending RATs to Mars

NASA is sending diamond-toothed robotic drills to Mars. One Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) will ride aboard each of the two Mars Exploration Rovers blasting off for Mars in the summer of next year. Just as a geologist cracks open a rock with a hammer to peer inside, the soda-can-sized RATs will allow scientists on Earth to see layers of rock that have not been exposed to weathering.

The rover will drive across Mars, pick out an interesting-looking rock, and extend the robotic arm that holds a carousel of instruments, including the RAT. The RAT will grind a round hole only about 45 millimeters (1.5 inches) in diameter and 5 millimeters (1/8th inch) deep. Because electrical power is precious on Mars, the RAT works slowly, taking anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours to wear away the small section of rock.

The carousel at the end of the robotic arm will then rotate to allow three other instruments to take turns peeking inside the hole. The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the Mössbauer Spectrometer will both analyze the composition of the newly exposed rock. The composition may reveal whether the rocks formed in liquid water, and could help determine how suitable the conditions at the site would have been for life millions of years ago. The Microscopic Imager (MI) will photograph the geologic structure of the rock, and could conceivably send back tantalizing hints that life was once present.

The next step in developing the RAT is "shake and bake"—heating, chilling and jostling the instrument to ensure that it can withstand the rigors of launch and the harsh conditions of outer space.


More on this story

Full text of original item from NASA, May 03, 2002

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