Mars Science Laboratory

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed Curiosity, a Mars rover, in Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. The overall objectives include investigating Mars' habitability, studying its climate and geology, and collecting data for a human mission to Mars. The rover carries a variety of scientific instruments designed by an international team.

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 cruise configuration
Mission typeMars rover
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID2011-070A
SATCAT no.37936
Websitehttp://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
Mission durationPrimary: 669 Martian sols
     (687 days)
Time since landing: 11 years, 6 months, 9 days (4097 sols)
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerJPL
Launch mass3,839 kg (8,463 lb)
Start of mission
Launch dateNovember 26, 2011, 15:02:00.211 (2011-11-26UTC15:02) UTC
RocketAtlas V 541 (AV-028)
Launch siteCape Canaveral SLC-41
ContractorUnited Launch Alliance
Mars rover
Landing dateAugust 6, 2012, 05:17 UTC
(11 years, 6 months and 9 days ago)
Landing siteBradbury Landing in Gale Crater
4.5895°S 137.4417°E / -4.5895; 137.4417
Distance driven30.00 km (18.64 mi) on Mars as of 30 May 2023
 
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.