Sixth-Grader Names Next Mars Rover
"Hey, Mom and Dad, guess what I did today? I named NASA's newest Mars rover. Let's get ice cream."
We're guessing that's the conversation 12-year-old Clara Ma had with her parents after the sixth-grade student from Sunflower Elementary School in Lenexa, Kansas won a nationwide contest to name the next Martian rover. Her contest-winning appellation? Curiosity.
NASA has a history of naming its devices by public polling; indeed, back in the mid-'70s, the first space shuttle -- initially called 'Constitution' -- was named 'Enterprise' after Captain Kirk's fictional ship from 'Star Trek,' following a large write-in contest. More recently, the space agency was forced to exercise its seldom-used editorial powers when thousands of people voted to name the newest module of the International Space Station the 'Colbert' for comedian and talk-show host Stephen Colbert, who had urged his viewers to write his name onto the ballot. [From: FOX News]
The 5 Greatest Planet-Exploring Robots
If its mission succeeds in 2012, NASA's latest Mars rover, the newly christened Curiosity will join an elite group of robots that have managed to touch down safely on an alien world. Click through to see Curiosity's five greatest forbearers.
Luna 9
Two and a half years before Neil Armstrong's giant leap, the Soviets' unmanned Luna 9 probe touched down on the surface of the Moon on February 3, 1966. For three days, it beamed back the first videos and panoramic photos from a heavenly body.
Venera 7
On August 17, 1970, the Soviet Venera 7 probe crash-landed on Venus and became the first spacecraft to survey our nearest planetary neighbor. What it found wasn't pretty: A hellish world with metal-melting temperatures of 475 degrees Fahrenheit and crushing atmospheric pressure 93 times greater than Earth's.
Viking 1 and 2
After three attempts by the USSR, NASA succeeded in landing the first robot on Mars when Viking 1 touched down on July 20, 1976. (Its sibling, Viking 2, landed on September 3.) Although designed for a 90-day mission, the landers spent over 6 years surveying the planet.
NEAR Shoemaker
On February 14 , 2000, Shoemaker locked into orbit around 433 Eros, an asteroid orbiting just past Mars. Though Shoemaker wasn't designed to land on Eros, NASA engineers successfully plunked it down on the rock after its one-year mission.
Huygens Saturn Probe
A joint American-European mission touched-down a probe called Huygens on the surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, on January 14, 2005. Nearly half the size of Earth, Titan is the only moon in the solar system with an atmosphere -- which allowed Huygens to make a leisurely two-and-a-half-hour parachute descent while measuring the atmosphere and snapping photos of the terrain. It continued to send back data for an hour and ten minutes after it landed.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Angela said 8:51AM on 5-29-2009
Yep, it's a curiosity all right. But I am glad NASA, for once, practiced good judgement and nixed the idea to name it after a celebrity, else the next over priced, under impressive rover might be named Ol' Dirty Bastard! (I swear this has nothing to do with Bill Clinton!)
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Mike said 10:13AM on 5-31-2009
NASA is one of the very few things the Government has actually done right. Because of NASA, we now have GPS, cell phones, electric cars that actually work, spy satellites for defense, numerous medical advances that save countless lives, MILLIONS of jobs born out of these technologies......NASA is worth every penny for what it helps bring us in terms of jobs, tax revenue, and technological advancement. As a matter of fact, it is estimated that the cumulative economic impact of NASA projects is $7 for every $1 spent.
Chuck said 6:27AM on 5-31-2009
Well I am curious if this thing will ever get off of the ground. Another bloated over budget project that is behind schedule.
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ruthsgardens said 7:39AM on 5-31-2009
I don't care about the cost anymore.If the money didn't go to nasa it would just go to some other democrats pork project.I would like to learn more about our universe before I die.These were my dreams before the first rocket launched.Now they have become a reality.I would also like to see some more Hubbles shot out in different directions and not just in our atmosphere.Our satellites are advanced enough to read the lettering on a pencil from space.I want that technology slung out into the universe as far and fast as they can fly.
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Earl said 7:58AM on 5-31-2009
Thank GOD it wasn`t named after OBAMA
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pnut166 said 12:43PM on 5-31-2009
if it was named the Obama, it wouldn`t work.
Douglas said 8:00AM on 5-31-2009
At least we( the government- according to the constitution) already own this agency. No bailout required.
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Sunday said 9:01AM on 5-31-2009
I think the name could have been a lot more original than Curiosity. JMO.
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geri2003iwin said 9:35AM on 5-31-2009
this just proves that like so many others things your vote does not count they those incharge will do whatever the hell they want
im so sorry steven colbert that NASA cant be true on there word
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Heidi said 9:49AM on 5-31-2009
I like that name. It's simple, it sums everything up and is just innocent enough like a child. I like it. Not complicated. Plus we are trying to learn things so it's perfect.
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DBMART7A said 1:28PM on 5-31-2009
I so agree with you Heidi, is says exactly what we are courious, after all, with out couriosity, we all would be sitting in a cave eatting raw meat and veggies.
wtre428476 said 10:08AM on 5-31-2009
If they asked me I'd name it after my ex wife,who's head was always in space and cost me a lot of money.
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Eddie Livingston said 10:13AM on 5-31-2009
They should have sold the naming rights like the major league sports parks: "AIG Rover", "WalMart Rover", ETC.
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pd39 said 10:59AM on 5-31-2009
Colbert is an over rated loud mouth. The liberals Rush Limbaugh! No more, no less.
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pnut166 said 12:43PM on 5-31-2009
Colbert has something called a sense of humor. Maybe you should get one.
tvndaboro said 10:34AM on 5-31-2009
Sorry Colbert! I voted for your name.
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infinitynback said 11:05AM on 5-31-2009
Americans spend 680 million a year on golf balls alone.
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carmpence said 10:45AM on 5-31-2009
NASA is a waste of money.
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Sunny said 10:57AM on 5-31-2009
I'm sorry but that name sucks, even if it is from a cute 6th grader.
How about "Black Hole" or "Money Pit"?
I think those are much better.
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pnut166 said 12:50PM on 5-31-2009
maybe we can slap a GM badge on it, too !