This event marks the launch of the Mars Rover Curiosity, a robotic exploration vehicle sent to Mars by NASA in 2011. The mission of the rover is to explore the surface of the planet and search for evidence of past or present life. The rover is equipped with a suite of scientific instruments, including
A Mars rover is a remote-controlled motor vehicle designed to travel on the surface of Mars. Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place themselves in sunny positions to weather winter months, and they can advance the knowledge of how to perform very remote robotic vehicle control. They serve a different purpose than orbital spacecraft like Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. A more recent development is the Mars helicopter.