NASA’s Curiosity Touchdown

Posted on Aug 6, 2012 | 0 comments

[Updated: 15.08.2012]

Finally after 9 month of flighttime, NASA’s mobile laboraty made it to Mars.
Carrying the most advanced payload of scientific gear ever used on Mars’ surface, the Mars rover is ready to investigate whether conditions have been favorable for microbial life and for preserving clues in the rocks about possible past life.
The Curiosity Mission is the follow on mission of NASA’s past Mars Mission with twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity launched in 2003. Unlike earlier rovers, Curiosity carries equipment to gather samples of rocks and soil, process them  and distribute them to onboard test chambers inside analytical instruments. The first image taken by the Mars Rover is taken by it’s rear-left Hazard Avoidance Camera and shows the enviroment on Mars, where Curiosity landed at 10:32 p.m. Aug. 5, PDT, (1:32 a.m. EDT, Aug. 6) near the foot of a mountain about five kilometers tall inside Gale Crater, nearly 155 kilometers in diameter.

For more information on the mission, visit:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

Update 15.08.2012 [complete 3D panorama colored]:
http://www.360pano.eu/show/?id=731

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