Does Curiosity Have Solar Panels

Why then did the 2004 rovers choose to use solar panels for power.

Does curiosity have solar panels. Curiosity is 2 9 m 9 5 ft long by 2 7 m 8 9 ft wide by 2 2 m 7 2 ft in height larger than mars exploration rovers which are 1 5 m 4 9 ft long and have a mass of 174 kg 384 lb including 6 8 kg 15 lb of scientific instruments. The curiosity rover is bigger needs more power. In comparison to pancam on the mars exploration rovers the mastcam 34 has 1 25 higher spatial resolution and the mastcam 100 has 3 67 higher spatial. Curiosity nuclear solar power spirit opportunity.

Previous mars missions have relied on solar panels to power the rovers but exploration was slowed down by dust. While solar panels have issues with martian dust this was a known factor before the 2004 spirit and opportunity mission. In short nasa wanted to make this mission better and faster. But since spirit and opportunity are solar powered rovers and curiosity is powered with an rtg it is difficult to compare the missions theisinger said.

The 2 main drawbacks of solar panels is that they don t work during the night and they don t work during the martian winter. Harnessing the power of the sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil. One consequence is that the mars exploration rovers couldn t work for more that half of the time. A generation from now this solar heatercan either be a curiosity a museum piece an example of a road not taken or it can be a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the american people.

It s just been the hardiest. In its stunning 14 plus years of travel enabled by martian winds that periodically cleaned off its solar panels it has covered an impressive 28 miles 40 kilometers.