Live Now: NASA Webcast for Mars Rover Curiosity

This view of the three left wheels of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity combines two images that were taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 34th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars (Sept. 9, 2012). In the distance is the lower slope of Mount Sharp. CREDIT: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems View full size image

The huge Mars rover Curiosity has begun its second month exploring the Red Planet, and you can tune in to find out the latest details straight from NASA during a live webcast today (Sept. 12).

NASA will hold a teleconference today at 2 p.m. EDT (11 a.m. PDT/1800 GMT) update reporters and the public on the Curiosity rover's status. The Curiosity Mars rover team is expected to release new photos of the Martian surface during the briefing, which will be streamed live.

You can listen in on the conference and see related visuals live here: http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

You can also see the briefing's audio and visuals below:

Video streaming by Ustream

Images only, without the audio, will be available here:  http://go.nasa.gov/curiositytelecon

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity landed on the Red Planet on Aug. 5, beginning a two-year mission to explore its Gale Crater landing site. The rover is designed to study the Martian environment in unprecedented detail and investigate whether the region could have ever supported microbial life.

The car-size rover is the largest, most capable rover ever sent to the Red Planet and has already snapped jaw-dropping photos of Mars, as well as of itself.  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., is overseeing the $2.5 billion rover mission.

JPL will also host a lecture about the Curiosity rover on Thursday (Sept. 13) at 7 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EDT/0200 Sept. 14), NASA officials said. The lecture will be open to the public and be held in JPLS's von Karman Auditorium, and will also be streamed live here: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/lectures_archive.cfm?year=2012&month=9#NASA

Visit SPACE.com later today for complete coverage of the latest Curiosity rover press briefing.

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A 'Curiosity' Quiz: How Well Do You Know NASA's New...

NASA's Curiosity rover — the centerpiece of NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission — landed on Mars Aug. 5. How much do you know about Curiosity and its mission?

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A 'Curiosity' Quiz: How Well Do You Know NASA's New...

NASA's Curiosity rover — the centerpiece of NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission — landed on Mars Aug. 5. How much do you know about Curiosity and its mission?

0 of questions complete

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