Editing Mars Science Laboratory (section)

=== Cruise stage ===
The cruise stage carried the MSL spacecraft through the void of space and delivered it to Mars. The interplanetary trip covered the distance of 352 million miles in 253 days.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/23/science/space/nasas-curiosity-rover-gets-moving-on-mars.html?_r=0 |title=After Trip of 352 Million Miles, Cheers for 23 Feet on Mars |access-date=October 18, 2012 |first=Kenneth |last=Chang |date=August 22, 2012 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> The cruise stage has its own miniature [[propulsion]] system, consisting of eight thrusters using [[hydrazine]] fuel in two [[titanium]] tanks.<ref name=cruise/> It also has its own [[electric power system]], consisting of a [[solar array]] and battery for providing continuous power. Upon reaching Mars, the spacecraft stopped spinning and a cable cutter separated the cruise stage from the aeroshell.<ref name=cruise/> Then the cruise stage was diverted into a separate trajectory into the atmosphere.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Design and Fabrication of the Cruise Stage Spacecraft for MSL |first=N. |last=Dahya |title=2008 IEEE Aerospace Conference |pages=1–6 |date=March 1–8, 2008 |publisher=IEEE Explore|doi=10.1109/AERO.2008.4526539 |isbn=978-1-4244-1487-1 |s2cid=21599522 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/interactives/edlcuriosity/ |title=Follow Curiosity's descent to Mars |access-date=August 23, 2012 |year=2012 |work=NASA |quote=Animation |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821024425/http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/interactives/edlcuriosity/ |archive-date=August 21, 2012 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In December 2012, the debris field from the cruise stage was located by the ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter''. Since the initial size, velocity, density and impact angle of the hardware are known, it will provide information on impact processes on the Mars surface and atmospheric properties.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2012-386 |title=Orbiter Spies Where Rover's Cruise Stage Hit Mars |website=[[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] }}</ref>