A scientist from Washington University has been picked to help explore Mars. Earth and planetary science professor Raymond Arvidson has proposed using a new rover to study the soil there. Arvidson will be one of the participating scientists on the Mars Science Laboratory project. The rover is on its way to Mars and is scheduled to arrive in August. His idea is one of twenty proposals accepted for the mission.
The rover, Curiosity, will be powered by plutonium. Previous rovers have been solar powered. It will be five times larger than previous rovers.
