PIA13238: New Wheels (Animation)
 Mission:  Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)
 Spacecraft:  Curiosity
 Product Size:  1279 x 718 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  JPL
 Other  
Information: 
JPL News Release 2010-233
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA13238.tif (2.758 MB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA13238.jpg (114.4 kB)

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In this video clip, engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory install a set of six wheels onto the Curiosity rover, which is destined for Mars in late 2011. These will be the first set of wheels to ever touch down on another planet. On previous missions, airbags were used to land the rovers. On this mission, however, the rover will descend by a special tether system that will lower the rover onto the surface with wheels first.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Image Addition Date:
2010-07-07