NASA Completes 'Brain Transplant' On Curiosity Rover

Los Angeles: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, has announced that it has completed "brain transplant" on Mars rover Curiosity.

As its main and backup computers have been successfully upgraded with new software after a four-day effort, Curiosity is now a big step closer to begin its mission of finding out whether life has ever existed on Mars, according to the JPL.

Curiosity has been on the surface of Mars for over a week now since it successfully touched down Aug 5, reported Xinhua.

JPL announced that Curiosity would undergo a "brain transplant" for four days during the weekend to update the software on the rover's main and backup computers, a necessary step before Curiosity can begin roving.

"We have successfully completed the brain transplant," said Curiosity mission manager Mike Watkins at the JPL.

"Now we are moving on to a new phase of functional checkouts of the science instruments and preparations for a short test drive," he added.

The first drive, possibly within a week or so, will likely include short forward and reverse segments and a turn.

Curiosity has a separate drive motor on each of its six wheels and steering motors on the four corner wheels. Preparation and testing of the motor controllers will precede the first drive, according to JPL.

After the test drive, the planning schedule has an "intermission" before a second testing phase focused on use of the rover's robotic arm.