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Mars Curiosity rover is scheduled for a stopover to scrutinize the pyramid-shaped rock on the planet’s surface.The rock, measuring around 16 inches at the base and 10 inches high is chosen for analysis due to its unusual shape, was named “Jake” in memory of Jet Propulsion Lab engineer-mathematician Jacob Matijevic who died several days after the spacecraft’s landing on Mars.
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Mars Curiosity rover is scheduled for a stopover to scrutinize the pyramid-shaped rock on the planet’s surface.The rock, measuring around 16 inches at the base and 10 inches high is chosen for analysis due to its unusual shape, was named “Jake” in memory of Jet Propulsion Lab engineer-mathematician Jacob Matijevic who died several days after the spacecraft’s landing on Mars.
The science team from JPL will have Curiosity stop for a couple of days for its first “contact science” by analysing and photographing the rock using its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Alpha Particle Xray Spectrometer (APXS).
Curiosity is on a 2-year mission to probe living conditions in Mars and gain insights into its geologic history. Its goal is to reach the base of Mount Sharp in the midst of Gale Crater, around 7 miles away from its current position, by early 2013.