We have come a long way since the Mariner 4 space probe snapped the first close-up images of Mars in 1965. The latest NASA mission landed on the red planet on August 6, 2012.
The Mars Science Laboratory, the latest mission’s official title, has six primary objectives. Most notably determining what Martian rocks are made of, searching for signs of life, and searching for water. The Curiosity rover carries a variety of scientific instruments that have been specifically made for effectively carrying out this objectives.
President Obama called the members of NASA’s Curiosity rover team on August 13th to congratulate them. “What you've accomplished embodies the American spirit and your passion and your commitment is making a difference and your hard work is now paying dividends. If in fact, you do make contact with Martians please let me know right away. Because I've got a lot of other things on my plate but I suspect that that will go to the top of the list – even if they're just microbes, it will be pretty exciting.”
The Curiosity rover is the most ambitious space exploration vehicle created to date due to it’s advanced tools that will allow it to perform experiments on the surface of Mars. It will be at least another month before Curiosity is given the go ahead by the Mars Science Laboratory team to begin doing science. Until that moment the MSL team will be testing and making sure the rover is in top condition.
