Uncrewed spacecraftActive
Curiosity Mars rover
Mars rover
Vehicle and mission dossier
Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity
Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity launched on November 26, 2011 toward Gale Crater, Mars. The 1,982 pounds (899 kilograms) for the spacecraft carried mastcam, mahli, mardi, chemcam, apxs, chemin, sam, dan, rems, and rad laboratory and environmental instruments. After a sky-crane landing, Curiosity drilled and analyzed sedimentary rocks, found clay minerals, organic molecules, changing methane, and evidence for ancient lakes and groundwater, measured surface radiation and weather, and climbed Mount Sharp's climate record across thousands of sols.
Flight profile
- Launch
- November 26, 2011
Places and recovery
Vehicle record
- Arrival
- Landed August 6, 2012
- Operator
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Launch vehicle
- Atlas V 541
- Mass
- 1,982 pounds (899 kilograms) for the rover
- Destination
- Gale Crater, Mars
- Payload
- Mastcam, MAHLI, MARDI, ChemCam, APXS, CheMin, SAM, DAN, REMS, and RAD laboratory and environmental instruments
- Outcome
- Active
- Mission type
- Mars rover
- Spacecraft mass
- 1,982 pounds (899 kilograms) for the rover
- Program
- Mars Science Laboratory
- Crew complement
- 0
- Science payload
- Mastcam, MAHLI, MARDI, ChemCam, APXS, CheMin, SAM, DAN, REMS, and RAD laboratory and environmental instruments
Flight objectives
- Determine whether Mars ever offered environments capable of supporting microbial life, characterize geology and climate, investigate organic and inorganic chemistry, and measure surface radiation for future exploration.
- Complete interplanetary cruise, Mars approach, landed august 6, 2012, and commissioning of Curiosity Mars .
- Operate the science payload, navigation, power, thermal, telecommunications, autonomy, and permanent planetary-data archive systems.
- After a sky-crane landing, Curiosity drilled and analyzed sedimentary rocks, found clay minerals, organic molecules, changing methane, and evidence for ancient lakes and groundwater, measured surface radiation and weather, and climbed Mount Sharp's climate record across thousands of sols.
Flight timeline
- November 26, 2011LaunchMars Science Laboratory Curiosity departs Earth aboard Atlas V 541.
- Landed August 6, 2012Mars arrivalCuriosity Mars reaches its documented Martian operating environment.
- Science milestoneCuriosity's mobile laboratory establishes that ancient Gale Crater contained long-lived habitable environmentsAfter a sky-crane landing, Curiosity drilled and analyzed sedimentary rocks, found clay minerals, organic molecules, changing methane, and evidence for ancient lakes and groundwater, measured surface radiation and weather, and climbed Mount Sharp's climate record across thousands of sols.
- Recorded outcomeActiveMars Science Laboratory Curiosity's observations remain part of NASA's permanent Mars archive.