SUCCESS!

Curiosity has just landed on Mars! Nasa employess are overjoyed. Expect for updates on any discoveries Curiosity makes on Mars. There will even be new pictures and videos.

Curiosity's Mission

Curiosity is being sent to Mars for a very interesting cause. In 2003, scientists detected a mass of methane gas on Gale Crater ( the northern hemesphere of Mars ). Since methane gas on Mars would be destroyed promptly by ultraviolet rays from the sun, there would have to be a continuous scource of methane in order for it to be noticed. On Earth, methane gas is caused naturally in two ways: either in a geographic or biological event. If the cause is geographical, there could be a underground store of methane on Mars. This would mean that Mars could be alive, in a geological sense. If the cause is biological, it would mean life on Mars! A biological event would mean that some type of organism ( probably microorganisms ) would be producing methane gas as a waste.

Facts

Curiosity cost 2.5 billion 2012 US dollars!
No solar panels.
Curiosity uses a small nuclear power plant to power its technology.
Most expensive rover sent to Mars.
Landing site : Gale Crater

Double click videos to view on Youtube.

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This 11-minute computer animation is about how Curiosity will get to Mars. It includes the cruise stage, entery, descent, and landing on Mars. It also includes surface operations ( what it will do when it is turned on ).