Curiosity Rover 21104 - Toys LEGO - Free user manual and instructions

USER MANUAL Curiosity Rover 21104 LEGO

21104_BI_BK1_2309.indd 2 23/09/2013 4:15 PMIn 1965, the world eagerly awaited the results of the fi rst spacecraft fl yby of Mars. Before then, everything we knew about the Red Planet was based only on what could be seen from telescopes on Earth. Any hopes of fi nding Martians, or even a hospitable planet, were quickly dashed as Mars appeared to be an arid, cold, and lifeless planet. It would take almost 50 years and a series of successful space missions to give us a better understanding of this apparently barren planet. Not only is Mars home to the largest volcano and the deepest canyon in the solar system, but many of its features appear to be shaped by water, which may, even today, occasionally emerge from below the hostile surface. Water is key to life as we know it, and is one sign that Mars could be a habitat for past or present microbial life…or even human life someday in the future. This is why Mars continues to intrigue scientists, and why NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) persists in attempting to unlock the secrets of the Red Planet. English © Shutterstock 21104_BI_BK1_2309.indd 3 23/09/2013 4:15 PMFOLLOW THE WATER

21104_BI_BK1.indd 4 17/09/2013 3:33 PMNASA’s interest in the Red Planet began soon after it was established in 1958. The very fi rst mission, Mariner 4 (1965), simply fl ew by Mars, taking as many pictures as possible on its way past. As knowledge and technologies grew, NASA started putting spacecraft in orbit around the planet for long-term global studies. Then, with even more capabilities, NASA spacecraft began to land on the surface, beginning with Viking 1 & 2 (1976). With rovers such as Sojourner (1997), Spirit and Opportunity (2004), and Curiosity (2012), real treks across the planet’s surface became possible. For earlier missions, understanding Mars as a potential habitat for microbial life began with a strategy of “follow the water.” Orbiters, landers, and rovers provided numerous signs of past or present water on Mars. Mars Science Laboratory, with its rover Curiosity, is the latest and most ambitious mission in NASA’s Mars Exploration Program. It takes a leap forward in beginning NASA’s current Mars exploration strategy: “Seek Signs of Life.” In the fi rst year of its mission, Curiosity discovered that Gale Crater once had the right conditions to provide a habitat for microbial life, including the past presence of long-term surface water and at least six key chemical elements that are fundamental chemical building blocks of life. English

21104_BI_BK1.indd 5 17/09/2013 3:33 PMCuriosity is the most advanced rover ever developed for the Mars program and carries ten times more scientific gear than the earlier Mars rovers. It’s about the size of a car, but not quite as fast, with a top speed of only 1.5 inches per second on flat, hard ground. It has six-wheel drive combined with a rocker-bogie suspension system and cameras mounted on a mast to help the mission’s team on Earth select exploration targets and driving routes. Built as a mobile science laboratory, Curiosity is packed with special instruments and cameras for performing a wide range of climatic and geological studies. This includes the ability to gather samples of rocks and soil and analyze them directly in a series of onboard test chambers. With selected instruments being provided by Russia, Canada, and Spain, this latest mission to Mars has a truly international flavor. With its sophisticated mobility system and scientific tools, Curiosity’s ultimate destination is layered terrain on the slopes of Mt. Sharp at the center of Gale Crater. By exploring these layers, each of which records a specific time in Mars’ history, Curiosity will likely uncover the secrets of the Red Planet for many years to come. © NASA/JPL-Caltech.

21104_BI_BK1.indd 6 17/09/2013 3:33 PMTHE CURIOSITY ROVER English The Curiosity Mars Rover was developed by scientists and engineers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is a NASA facility managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California. More Information about Curiosity: mars.nasa.gov/msl www.nasa.gov U.S. Design Patent D673,482. © NASA/JPL-Caltech.

1-800-422-5346 21104_BI_BK1.indd 101 23/09/2013 1:51 PMA WORD FROM THE MODEL CREATOR “I am a Mechanical Engineer who worked on the actual Curiosity rover at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I combined this first-hand experience with my LEGO

model that was as faithful to the actual rover as possible in terms of accuracy, details, and mechanical function, while remaining at a reasonable size.” “The primary purpose of this effort has been to contribute to the educational outreach for this incredible mission. It is my hope that this model encourages the public support that is integral to the continued development and exploration of outer space.” Once it was decided that the Curiosity model was going to be produced, a team of experienced LEGO

designers evaluated the design and suggested some minor improvements to ensure a LEGO

building experience that matches the standards of our own designs. Stephen Pakbaz

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