On Monday, August 6 at 1:31 a.m. EDT, NASA will attempt the landing of a new planetary rover, named Curiosity, on the surface of Mars.  The Mars Science Laboratory project is managed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, a world-renowned center for robotic space exploration and advanced science and engineering.  JPL recently began a widespread adoption of Maplesoft technology, and Maplesoft’s products are expected to help JPL save time and reduce cost by providing more efficient and smarter methods for mathematical analysis, modeling, and simulation. 

Here is a picture of the scale model of the rover:

Following is a photograph of Maplesoft’s onsite technical representative at JPL, Stephen Forrest, posing with the scale model of the Curiosity rover.

Here is the NASA JPL facility, as seen from a distance. 

And finally, here is a picture of Maplesoft’s own Chad Schmitke and Bonnie Yue during a recent visit to JPL. 

For more information about Maplesoft’s connection to JPL, please read this article in Scientific Computing Magazine: http://www.scientificcomputing.com/news-DA-NASA-Jet-Propulsion-Lab-Enhances-Modeling-and-Simulation-in-Space-Exploration-Projects-012712.aspx