Curiosity
ActiveLaunched in 2011·Mars / Gale
Confirmed that Mars once hosted conditions favorable to life billions of years ago.
Main objectives
- Assess the past habitability of Gale Crater (water, organics, minerals).
- Study the climatic and geological evolution of Mars over billions of years.
- Map the ground and atmosphere with onboard instruments (SAM, ChemCam…).
Did you know?
Designed for 2 years, still active after more than 13 years. It has traveled over 32 km across Gale Crater, climbing Mount Sharp layer by layer.
Timeline
Nov 26, 2011
Launch
Atlas V from Cape Canaveral.
Aug 06, 2012
Gale landing
Sky Crane (first use).
Jun 07, 2018
Organic molecules
Detection of ancient organic molecules.
Curiosity
Instruments
[06]Specifications
Mass
Power
Distance traveled