Mars Science Laboratory

"The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed Curiosity, a Mars rover, in Gale Crater on August 6, 2012.The overall objectives include investigating Mars' habitability, studying its climate and geology, and collecting data for a manned mission to Mars."(MSL wiki)
A self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover taken in October 2015 after it has explored the surface of Mars for over three years. Curiosity is about the size of an automobile and is powered by a plutonium-238 dioxide radioisotope power system.

The green dot indicates the landing spot of Curiosity in what was called the most accurate landing in spacecraft history.

Curiosity at "rocknest", the location where the first scoop samples were taken. Four scoop scars can be seen. The slope of Aeolis Mons is in the background. October 2012.

In the Wiki document on Curiosity is the above map of the various Mars missions as an interactive map which map be clicked upon for more information.

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Mars Concepts

Mars Science Laboratory, wiki
 
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