When the “Curiosity” rover of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Project is sent to Mars in 2011 to explore the red planet and determine whether the planet has ever – or still could – support life, aluminum will be part of the mission. The nine-foot-long, 1,875-pound robot is made mostly of aluminum and powered by a nuclear generator. Curiosity’s aluminum body is called the warm electronics box, or “WEB” for short. Like a car body, the rover body is a strong, outer layer that protects the rover’s computer and electronics. The rover body thus keeps the rover’s vital organs protected and temperature-controlled.
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