Curiosity not only survives, but continues to progress. NASA’s rover landed on Mars in 2012 with a mission that had to last two years. Today, thirteen years later, it continues to function effectively, and its discoveries help reconstruct the geological and climatic history of the red planet.
In exclusive dialogue with Gizmodo, Dr. Elena Lenator-Ferench, head of the Rover Scientific Operations Team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), provided fascinating details about the achievements of the mission, the daily international coordination to keep it active and the next steps of an exploration that, despite its age, continues to write decisive chapters in the history of Mars.
The heart of the mission: Gale Crater and the hypothesis of a habitable Mars
From his landing in 2012, Curiosity explores the Gale cratera region located near Ecuador Marciano who, according to the orbital images, would have housed a lake millions of years ago. The site selection was not accidental. “We chose this crater because we thought that water had been present there in liquid form, a lake,” explains Amador-Ferench.
But beyond water, Curiosity’s goal was to investigate three essential factors for life as we know it: Liquid water, A source of energy y Basic chemical ingredientshow carbon, oxygen y sulfur.
“We know that to live we need water, we need energy, such as what plants use to take photosynthesis, or as we need food, and we need the basic ingredients: carbon, oxygen. Those are the three things that Curiosity was looking for,” said the scientist.
The instruments of the rover were specifically designed to identify these conditions: measure minerals formed in the presence of water, detect chemical elements and evaluate traces of potential energy sources. And the results were overwhelming.
The early finding of philosilicates – claymineous mininerals that are only formed in stable aqueous environments – added to the identification of compounds such as iron, sulfur and carbon in the samples, confirmed that The Gale crater was a habitable environment in the past.
“Curiosity was designed to identify those three conditions. And what we could demonstrate is that in the Gale crater, in a time, those conditions existed. We did not confirm life, but we did confirm that Mars was habitable in the past,” Amador-Ferench explained.
However, the scientist is precise in a key distinction: evidence of life has not been found, but of habitability. “We can say that the conditions for life to have been in Mars were. Now, having the conditions does not mean that life was there. But it could have existed”emphasizes.
The discovery of the largest organic molecules in Mars
One of the most powerful statements of the interview came when we talk about the discovery of organic molecules on the Martian surface. Curiosity has an instrument called SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) that analyzes the isotopes present in the samples taken with his drill. Through this analysis, compounds were discovered that changed the panorama.
“Sam found the largest organic molecules that we have detected on Mars. They are the construction blocks of life, the basic parts to form more complex molecules.”
These compounds are not, by themselves, evidence of past life, but they are a key indication. “It took us for years to analyze the data. And although they do not confirm anything by themselves, they give us reasons to continue deepening. They are important clues,” he added.
Curiosity will not be able to bring samples to the earth, but laid the precedent so that Perseverancewhich operates in an area other than the planet, collects and preserves material that will be transported in future missions. “What we found in Gale Crater gave us the certainty that other regions, such as Jezero, can also contain organic compounds. It is a complementary mission.”
Daily coordination: how millions of kilometers are made
Curiosity is not alone. It is supported by more than 200 scientists and engineers from around the world. But daily work is done by a small team that each day plans the following. “We woke up with the data that Curiosity sent during his Martian ‘night’ and review images, chemical analysis, position … In less than six hours, we have to decide what he will do that day.”
“It is a choreography between science and engineering. The scientific team says what it wants to study and the team of engineers responds what can be done with the available time and energy.”
Each daily plan includes decisions as thorough as: what rocks analyze, what photos take, how much to advance, how much energy spent. All this depends on variables such as the inclination of the land, the visibility, the temperature and the remaining amount of energy in the batteries. “It’s like programming a daily medical routine for a patient who is alone on another planet,” jokes Amador-Ferench.
Does Curiosity have autonomy?
Although it may seem an autonomous machine, the reality is that Curiosity is highly dependent on human control. “It is not completely autonomous. But it does have some navigation capacity if the land allows it,” says Amador-Ferench.
When the land is considered safe and flat, engineers can indicate a destination and allow you to choose the best route to get there. However, if there are obstacles, large or slopes pronounced stones, the team prefers to maintain total control to avoid irreversible damage.
“It is a machine that, if it is damaged, we cannot go to repair it. That is why we take care of it as if it were a baby.”
Nuclear energy, extreme resistance and programmed aging
One of the less known aspects of rover is its energy source: Plutonium-238a radioactive material that generates heat. That heat feeds the batteries every night. It is an effective, but finite system. “Every year, the plutonium generates less heat. And there will be a point where we cannot recharge the battery.”
“There is no exact date, but we estimate that Curiosity could continue to operate between five and ten years, depending on the state of its systems and energy degradation.”
Unlike previous rovers, such as Spirit and Opportunity that depended on solar panels, Curiosity was designed with a more robust vision. “It was built to last more than they financed at first. They only gave us a budget for two years, but the hardware was prepared for much more.”
An irreplaceable legacy: curiosity as a precursor of everything
Curiosity not only confirmed that Mars was habitable in the past. It also provided the necessary geological context to interpret future discoveries. “The Mount Sharp is climbing and, as he ascends, he travels layers of sediments that are like pages of a history book.”
Each promoted meter represents thousands or millions of years. “It’s like making a chronology of the Martian climate. From a wet Mars, with stable lakes and conditions, to an arid and ice cream like today.”
“Curiosity was the vision. Perseverance are the hands. One without the other it would not make sense.”
The future: more science, more questions
Despite the passage of time, Curiosity continues to find surprises. According to Amador-Ferench, the latest rocks studied show a high concentration of sulfur, which would indicate a drier environment and possibly with volcanic activity. “We are entering an area where everything indicates that Mars was changing, becoming more hostile.”
And although there is no deadline, the team knows that the end will arrive. “One day, we will simply have no more energy. Curiosity will stay there, on the hillside, as part of the Martian landscape.”
“Every year we found something we did not expect. There are still many mysteries to discover. And while we have energy, there will be curiosity. And there will be science.”
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