Mars Rover Curiosity Needs a Brain Transplant Before It Gets Down to Business

The Mars Rover Curiosity may have been able to execute a staggeringly complex descent and stick the landing, but isn't exactly ready for the mission ahead of it, yet. First, it needs a good old fashioned software update.

The update, or "brain transplant" as NASA calls it, will take place in steps over the course of several days, just like when you boot up your Windows computer. The goal is to outfit Curiosity with some software that's less about landing and more about getting around on the surface of an alien planet, specifically avoiding obstacles. NASA's Ben Cichy, a chief software engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory mission puts it this way:


The update should be complete by sometime on Monday, and then it's go time. After all, rovers gotta rove. [NASA]