Curiosity has discovered evidence that a stream once flowed across the area that it’s exploring. The image shows conglomerate rock, which is made up of streambed gravels. This is the first direct observation of streambed material. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

In early February 2013, Curiosity drilled into a rock called “John Klein.” The rock powder was transferred to the scoop shown in the photo, and then delivered to instruments inside the rover. Analyses of the sample show that conditions on Mars were once favorable for life. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

With the Mars Science Laboratory—a rover called Curiosity—safely installed in its spacecraft, the Mars Science Laboratory mission set out for the red planet on November 26, 2011, with a projected arrival at Mars on August 5, 2012 PDT. About the size of a small SUV, Curiosity is truly a sophisticated mobile laboratory with the most advanced instruments ever sent to Mars.

Curiosity's Job on Mars

The main science goal of the mission is to evaluate whether Mars has or has ever had an environment that could support bacteria or other microbial life. To try to find out, Curiosity will study rocks and soil to find records of the geologic and climate history of Mars. It will also look for carbon and other chemical building blocks of life.

Rover Innovations

With each new Mars mission, NASA has reused technologies and design elements that have worked well in the past. Curiosity has six-wheels, for example, as did the earlier rovers, and a rocker-bogie suspension system that has proven to provide excellent stability and obstacle-climbing ability. But each mission has brought innovations as well. Here's what's new for Curiosity: MORE »