Mars Science Laboratory
Robotic mission that deployed the Curiosity rover to Mars in 2012 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the spaceflight mission to Mars. For the surface rover, see Curiosity (rover). For events and findings on Mars, see Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory.
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011,[2] which successfully landed Curiosity, a Mars rover, in Gale Crater on August 6, 2012.[3][9][10][11] The overall objectives include investigating Mars' habitability, studying its climate and geology, and collecting data for a human mission to Mars.[12] The rover carries a variety of scientific instruments designed by an international team.[13]
Quick Facts Mission type, Operator ...
Mission type | Mars rover |
---|---|
Operator | NASA |
COSPAR ID | 2011-070A |
SATCAT no. | 37936 |
Website | http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ |
Mission duration | Primary: 669 Martian sols (687 days) Time since landing: 11 years, 8 months, 9 days (4156 sols) |
Spacecraft properties | |
Manufacturer | JPL |
Launch mass | 3,839 kg (8,463 lb)[1] |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | November 26, 2011, 15:02:00.211 (2011-11-26UTC15:02) UTC[2][3][4] |
Rocket | Atlas V 541 (AV-028) |
Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-41[5] |
Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
Mars rover | |
Landing date | August 6, 2012, 05:17 UTC (11 years, 8 months and 9 days ago) |
Landing site | Bradbury Landing in Gale Crater 4.5895°S 137.4417°E / -4.5895; 137.4417[6][7] |
Distance driven | 30.00 km (18.64 mi) on Mars as of 30 May 2023[update][8] |
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