NEWS | November 13, 2008
So Happy Together
Imagine taking a very long 10-month journey with someone you've just recently met! The assembly team successfully introduced the Mars Science Laboratory rover to one of its space travel partners. For the first time, it was coupled with its "descent stage," the part of the spacecraft that lowers the rover to the Martian surface.
Up until now, thousands of hands and minds have been making sure this pairing is a perfect fit… on paper. The intricate parts of the rover and descent stage have all separately undergone some serious testing. Now that they're stacked together, their teams can see how they fit together in real life. With this match-making a success, the rover and descent stage will be joined with the protective case (the "aeroshell") for more testing. But, these pieces aren't staying together forever! They'll be separated, checked, and assembled many more times before finally coming together just before launch.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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