Latest News About Mars Science Laboratory, NASA's Newest Mars Rover

The Mars rover Curiosity, also known as the Science Laboratory, will launch in late 2011 and land on the Red Planet in August 2012.

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Toxic Mars Chemical Throws Wrench Into Search for Red Planet Life

Curiosity is shown at the Martian site of Rocknest.

September 27th, 2013

A toxic chemical in Martian dirt may obscure scientists' search for extraterrestrial life. Perchlorates on the Red Planet may cause reactions in Curiosity's soil samples that destroy organic compounds, researchers say.

Curiosity Drives Itself With Autonav Tech | Video

Curiosity Drives Itself With Autonav Tech | Video

September 20th, 2013

The Mars Science Laboratory's navigation technology allows controllers to simply determine a destination and let the rover figure out how to drive there. The software searches for obstacles and holes, then safely avoids them.

Curiosity Rover Takes Longest Drive on Mars Yet

Darwin' Outcrop at 'Waypoint 1' of Curiosity's Trek to Mount Sharp

September 10th, 2013

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity performed its longest one-day drive yet on Sept. 5, putting it within striking distance of an interesting patch of rocks called Waypoint 1 — a point on its approximately 5.3-mile (8.6 kilometer) trek that signifies the 1/5 poin

Curiosity Rover Makes Big Water Discovery in Mars Dirt, a 'Wow Moment'

Mars Rover Curiosity on Sol 85

September 26th, 2013

Future Mars explorers should be able to get all the water they need out of the red dirt beneath their boots, a new study suggests. NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has found that surface soil on the Red Planet contains about 2 percent water by weight.

Mars Rover Camera Invention Could Help NASA Robots Explore Solo

TextureCam in California's Mojave Desert

September 11th, 2013

TextureCam, a technology whose development is led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is designed to take pictures of rocks in 3-D and prioritize the ones that are most scientifically interesting. The smart camera could be used on Mars or more distant lo

Amazing Mars Solar Eclipse Videos Caught by Curiosity Rover

Curiosity Rover Photographs Solar Eclipse, Aug. 20, 2013

September 6th, 2013

NASA's Curiosity rover has captured two stunning videos of solar eclipses from the surface of Mars, including one that shows the Red Planet's skies darkening above the 1-ton robot. Curiosity recorded the eclipses on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20.

Apparent Sizes of Moons | Space Wallpaper

Martian Moons and Earth Moon Comparison

September 4th, 2013

This space wallpaper is a comparison of how big the moons of Mars appear to be, as seen from the surface of Mars, in relation to the size that Earth's moon appears to be when seen from the surface of Earth.

NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds More Signs that Ancient Mars Had Water

This image shows the view from NASA's Mars rover Curiosity after it uses an autonomous proximity placement technique to place its tool-laden robotic arm on a rock science target called 'Darwin' during the 399th Martian day, or sol, of its mission. Image r

September 24th, 2013

The 1-ton Curiosity rover paused to examine a few rocks late last week, making the first of five planned science stops en route to the 3.4-mile-high Mount Sharp. The break was fruitful, returning further signs of long-ago flowing water.

Amazing Mars Rover Curiosity's Martian Views (Latest Photos)

Darwin' Outcrop at 'Waypoint 1' of Curiosity's Trek to Mount Sharp

September 10th, 2013

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is beaming home amazing photos of the Red Planet.

Solar Eclipse Casts Shadow On Curiosity | Video

Solar Eclipse Casts Shadow On Curiosity | Video

September 6th, 2013

The Mars Science Laboratory captured imagery of Mars' moon Phobos eclipsing the Sun on August 19th, 2013. It also captured the shadow cast by the eclipse.