Metal Supermarkets rises to the occasion to provide materials for NASA’s Curiosity rover


Metal Supermarkets, the world’s largest supplier of small quantity metals, and long-time client LOFTech Prototype Manufacturing, are over the moon about their recent accomplishments.Rover

With 420 grade stainless steel, cut to size, and supplied by Metal Supermarkets, LOFTech manufactured a vital scientific instrument that looks straight out of a science fiction movie. It is called the ChemCam, a part of NASA’s Curiosity rover.

The ChemCam is an advanced instrument mounted on the rover’s mast used to determine the composition of rocks. Using the most powerful laser in outer space, the ChemCam fires a laser pulse at rocks up to 60 yards away.

From the light given off by the laser hitting the rock, scientists use the built-in spectrometers to determine what the rock is made of. The light resulting from these blasts is recorded and analyzed by the rover, which can determine the elemental composition of samples from the atomic emission lines produced.

Metal Supermarkets and LOFTech have been doing business together for almost 10 years. Whether it is a matter of planetary exploration or general productivity, Metal Supermarkets store owners are constantly impressed with the variety of products that are made with their metals.

Who knows where the next piece of alloy steel, tool steel, stainless steel, hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel, galvanized sheet, copper, brass, bronze or aluminum will wind up?

For ongoing updates of Curiosity’s mission on Mars, follow it on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity.


Metal Supermarkets

Metal Supermarkets is the world’s largest small-quantity metal supplier with over 100 brick-and-mortar stores across the US, Canada, and United Kingdom. We are metal experts and have been providing quality customer service and products since 1985.

At Metal Supermarkets, we supply a wide range of metals for a variety of applications. Our stock includes: mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, tool steel, alloy steel, brass, bronze and copper.

We stock a wide range of shapes including: bars, tubes, sheets, plates and more. And we can cut metal to your exact specifications.

Visit one of our 120+ locations across North America today.

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