United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V-541 rocket has launched NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft to Mars from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station located in Florida. The huge Curiosity rover of the mission is covered and safeguarded in Lockheed Martin’s aeroshell.
Atlas V-541 rocket launches Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft to Mars (Photo: Pat Corkery, United Launch Alliance)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory constructed the Curiosity rover. Lockheed Martin has been the designer and builder of every aeroshell used for NASA’s Mars missions since starting from the Viking landers. The blunt-nosed, cone-shaped aeroshell used in the Mars Science Laboratory mission will cover and safeguard the Curiosity rover during its deep space journey to Mars, and from the powerful friction and heat that will be produced during the system’s entry into the Martian atmosphere.
The diameter of the aeroshell is 14.8 ft. Lockheed Martin designed a unique heat shield using a special thermal protection system that is different from the systems used in the earlier Mars missions due to its huge size, the unique entry trajectory via the Martian atmosphere and the overall weight of the spacecraft.
The Mars Science Laboratory heat shield is encapsulated with phenolic impregnated carbon ablator tiles, which play a major role in safeguarding the Curiosity rover from the high temperature of 3,500° F during the spacecraft’s travel via the Martian atmosphere on 5 August 2012.
Lockheed Martin has also offered information technology support services through its Information Systems & Global Solutions to the engineers, researchers and scientists of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory working at the Kennedy Space Center. With the subcontract of the JPL Desktop and Institutional Computing Environment, Lockheed Martin provided round-the-clock technology support during the launch.