What is the spacecraft?

The spacecraft is the protective "spaceship" that enables the precious cargo (that is, the rover!) to travel between Earth and Mars. It is separate from the launch vehicle that carries the spacecraft and the rover outside of Earth's atmosphere and gravity pull.

Like NASA's twin Mars rovers that landed on the red planet in early 2004, the Mars Science Laboratory rover will be tucked inside a tightly packaged cruise stage and aeroshell with a heat shield. Unlike the two Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Science Laboratory Rover will extend its wheels similar to the way an airplane unfolds its landing gear just before touchdown.

The spacecraft includes the mechanical units that safely carry and maneuver the rover as it enters the Martian atmosphere and lands on Mars.

The spacecraft design for Mars Science Laboratory consists of:

The spacecraft design for the Mars Science Laboratory mission is based largely on the successful twin Viking landers sent to Mars in the 1970s. The rover design is based on the Mars Exploration Rovers, which landed on Mars in early 2004. The system for entry, descent, and landing is entirely new.

How much does the spacecraft weigh?

The Mars Science Laboratory mission will have a projected total launch mass, including the rockets that lift it away from Earth, of about 3,400 kilograms (7,500 pounds). The mass of each primary part of the spacecraft is as follows: