NASA experts have selected the scientific instruments for the "heir» Curiosity

The project to create the rover, which is to replace Curiosity, carried out for a long time. In particular, a few months, NASA accepts the proposal to install a new machine various scientific instruments. Experts from different countries offered their own versions of these tools, you need to perform a certain range of research functions on Mars.

There were sent 58 proposals, of which NASA experts have chosen 7. Some of these tools can help to answer the question whether enough resources to support the colonists of Mars on the Red Planet. In addition, the rover's scientific instruments of the next generation (and the new rover is created on the basis of Curiosity) will help answer one more pressing question: whether there was life on Mars before.

Finally, the rover will attempt to detect potentially dangerous conditions / factors that may threaten the life or health of the colonists on Mars.

Among other tools is to provide a stereo camera Mastcam-Z, which can take panoramic and stereoscopic images with good resolution. Another tool, SuperCam, will determine the chemical and mineral composition of rocks, while another tool, Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL), determine the elemental composition of the surface of Mars minerals.

Scanning Habitable Environments spectrometer with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) try to detect organic compounds, using UV radiation. Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) will release oxygen from carbon dioxide.

The penultimate in a row tool Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) will be observed for the environmental conditions of Mars, and the seventh tool, Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Exploration (RIMFAX) shows what is under the surface of Mars.



Equipment necessary for the development of a round sum of 130 million US dollars. Sam Mars in 2020 will be similar to its forerunner, Curiosity, but differ from the relative set of scientific instruments and some other features (eg, landing system).

Via nasa

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/231951/