This portion of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, called the cruise
stage, will do its work during the flight between Earth and Mars after
launch in the fall of 2011.
For example, it will provide propulsion for maneuvers to adjust the
spacecraft's trajectory, and its solar panels will provide electricity for
the spacecraft during the flight. The cruise stage will be jettisoned
before the capsule containing the descent stage and rover enters the
Martian atmosphere.
The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft is being assembled and tested for
launch in 2011.
This image was taken at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,
Calif., which manages the Mars Science Laboratory Mission for NASA's
Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL is a division of the
California Institute of Technology.
