You’ve sunk more than $2 billion into a car-sized rover and you’re ready to send it to explore Mars. But where exactly on Mars do you send it?
Of course you want it and its controllers back here to be able to do the best possible science. So apparently that is exactly what NASA did – consulted the geology scientists of the world.
One of those scientists was Marion Anderson of Melbourne’s Monash University.
In this interview recorded on 2 August 2012, Marion explains to me what went into the selection of Gale Crater as the landing site for the Mars Curiosity rover, what to expect from the rover as it begins to explore the crater after its landing there on Monday 6 August, and why Curiosity is NOT looking for life, despite what many media people are saying (running time 20 mins).
Marion also talks about her role in selecting the landing sites for those other Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, and where next after Mars?
If you are interested in learning more about the geology of Mars, I highly recommend the one-hour lecture by Richard Pogge titled The Deserts of Mars from an entire – free – university course in Astrobiology from Ohio State University (also available on iTunes).
In the interview you’ll hear Marion talk about how Mount Sharp in the centre of Gale Crater is actually higher than the surrounding crater walls – some five kilometres high. In this lecture, listen for an explanation why Olympus Mons is the highest volcanic cone in our Solar System, and probably explaining the height of Mount Sharp too.
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[…] with lead Mars Curiosity rover driver Matt Heverly and Where to land Mars Curiosity for the best science? Interview with Marion Anderson, who helped choose… by Alan Kerlin Last week I interviewed Matt about this important role, about driving rovers in […]
[…] In August this year, the eyes of the whole world were looking towards our neighbouring planet. A team of NASA scientists and engineers watched intently, waiting for the news that the Curiosity rover had touched down safely on Mars. Then came the first images from our planet’s sibling. Curiosity is the largest and most sophisticated vehicle ever to set wheel on another planet, and its mission so far has been an astounding success. Coupled with the new scientific discoveries which Curiosity is still to make, there’s a more exciting implication behind this feat of engineering. The ability to safely land something as large as Curiosity paves the way for possible human exploration of the red planet. If you want to know a little more about the people behind the Curiosity rover, you may want to see our interviews with rover driver Matt Heverly, meteorologist Keri Bean, and mission scientist Marion Anderson. […]