Rocket Trivia Quizizz - Mars Science Laboratory

Mars Science Laboratory was launched by which variant of the Atlas V?

• Atlas V 541

• Atlas V 551

• Atlas V 531

• Atlas V 521

Answer explanation

The Atlas V 541 contains a 5 meter fairing that encloses both the payload and the Centaur stage, 4 strap-on solid rocket motors on the booster stage, and a single RL-10 engine powering the Centaur stage.

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What was the launch mass of the Mars Science Laboratory (both the rover and the cruise stage), rounded to the nearest metric tonne?

• 5 metric tonnes

• 4 metric tonnes

• 3 metric tonnes

• 2 metric tonnes

Answer explanation

The entire Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft had a mass of 3,839 kgs at launch, with the Curiosity rover making up 899 kg of that mass.

Which of these Mars orbiters captured an image of Curiosity's descent to the Martian surface?

• Mars Global Surveyor

• 2001 Mars Odyssey

• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

• Mars Express

Answer explanation

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, also launched by an Atlas V a few years earlier, captured this image of Curiosity falling to the Martian surface via parachute.

On which date, UTC, did the Curiosity Rover land on Mars?

• July 28th, 2012

• July 31st, 2012

• August 3th, 2012

• August 6th, 2012

Answer explanation

The Curiosity rover landed on Mars at 10:32 pm PDT August 5th, 2012 (JPL time), which is 5:32 AM UTC August 6th.

Which of these Martian regions did the Curiosity rover land on?

• Gale Crater

• Jezero Crater

• Utopia Planitia

• Elysium Planitia

Answer explanation

On August 22nd, 2012, NASA named the exact landing location within Gale Crater "Bradbury Landing" after the famous science fiction author Ray Bradbury.

Curiosity's ChemCam uses what method to conduct spectroscopy?

• Radar

• Laser

• Infrared Camera

• Audiovisual Processor

Answer explanation

Curiosity's Chemistry and Camera Complex (ChemCam) uses a high-power infrared laser to vaporize rock and observe the light spectra given off by the flame or plasma created.

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How many pairs of navigation cameras can be found on Curiosity?

• 4

• 3

• 2

• 1

Answer explanation

2 pairs of monochrome Navcams mounted on its mast to support ground navigation.

Curiosity's MastCam can take video at what framerate, in frames per second?

• 19 fps

• 16 fps

• 13 fps

• 10 fps

Answer explanation

The Mastcam can both take video at 720p and true-color images of the Martian landscape.

Tags

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How many cameras are there in total on the Curiosity rover?

• 17

• 16

• 15

• 14

Curiosity's MAHLI camera takes _____ images of the Martian landscape.

• Ultraviolet

• Microscopic

• Thermal

• Monochrome

Answer explanation

MAHLI can take images of Martian soil and rocks with a resolution as high as 14.5 nanometers per pixel.