Curiosity Mars Rover Makes First Test Drive

\ The little rover that could.\'a0 Curiosity made its first test drive today on the surface of Mars driving roughly 20 feet.\'a0 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://news.sky.com/story/975877/nasa-curiosity-rovers-first-mars-test-drive"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 Sky News explains\ulnone }}what this test means.\ \ \b \'93This drive check out, coupled with yesterday's checkout, with the steering actuators on cell 15 means that we have a fully functioning mobility system on our Rover.\'94 \b0 \ \ Mission control sent a few commands to the rover overnight.{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://woub.org/watch"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul WOUC reports.}}\ \b \'93Nasa engineers positioned the rover's wheels to move forward about ten feet, turn right, and steer backward, leaving track marks on the planet's soil.. scientists say curiosity eventually could roam hundreds of feet per day.\'94 \b0 \ \ \pard\pardeftab720\sa240\ql\qnatural {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19350497"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 The BBC reports}} Curiosity is the most advanced technology ever to land on another planet.\ \ \pard\pardeftab720\sa240\ql\qnatural \b \cf2 \'93Its laser can assess the chemical composition of nearby rocks. It is the first rover to be able to drill and analyse samples. All of this data can then be sent back to earth, along with the most detailed images of the Martian surface.\'94 \b0 \ \ But Curiosity has a long mission ahead of her,\'a0 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.c-span.org/Events/NASA-Provides-Update-on-Mars-Curiosity-Rover/10737433351/"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 C-SPAN explains\ulnone }}the rover is...\ \b \'93On a two-year mission to study whether the plan could have sustained life.\'94 \b0 \ \ Scientists also recently named Curiosity\'92s landing site Bradbury Landing, after the late Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles.\ }