Curiosity (rover)

Curiosity
Curiosity
Part of Mars Science Laboratory
	Self-portrait by Curiosity at the foot of Mount Sharp in October 2015
Type	Mars rover
Owner	NASA
Manufacturer	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Specifications
Dimensions	2.9 m × 2.7 m × 2.2 m (9 ft 6 in × 8 ft 10 in × 7 ft 3 in)
Dry mass	899 kilograms (1,982 lb)
Communication	UHF: ~400 MHz, 2 Mbit/s; X band: 7–8 GHz, 800 bit/s;
Power	MMRTG: ~100 W (0.13 hp)
Rocket	Atlas V 541
Instruments
	APXS; ChemCam; CheMin; DAN; Hazcam × 8; MAHLI; MARDI; MastCam; Navcam × 4; RAD; REMS; SAM;
History
Launched	November 26, 2011, 15:02 UTC; from Cape Canaveral SLC-41;
Deployed	August 6, 2012, 05:17 UTC; from the MSL EDLS;
Location	Gale crater, Mars
Traveled	35.5 km (22.1 mi) on Mars as of 4 April 2025
NASA Mars rovers

Curiosity is a car-sized Mars rover that is exploring Gale crater and Mount Sharp on Mars as part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission.^[2] Launched in 2011 and landed the following year, the rover continues to operate more than a decade after its original two-year mission.

Curiosity was launched from Cape Canaveral (CCAFS) on November 26, 2011, at 15:02:00 UTC and landed on Aeolis Palus inside Gale crater on Mars on August 6, 2012, 05:17:57 UTC.^[3]^[4]^[5] The Bradbury Landing site was less than 2.4 km (1.5 mi) from the center of the rover's touchdown target after a 560 million km (350 million mi) journey.^[6]^[7]

Mission goals include an investigation of the Martian climate and geology, an assessment of whether the selected field site inside Gale has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life (including investigation of the role of water), and planetary habitability studies in preparation for human exploration.^[8]^[9]

In December 2012, Curiosity's two-year mission was extended indefinitely.^[10]^[11]^[12] On August 6, 2022, a detailed overview of accomplishments by the Curiosity rover for the last ten years was reported.^[13] The rover is still operational, and as of 19 September 2025, Curiosity has been active on Mars for 4664 sols (4792 total days; 13 years, 44 days) since its landing (see current status).

The NASA/JPL Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity Project Team was awarded the 2012 Robert J. Collier Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association "In recognition of the extraordinary achievements of successfully landing Curiosity on Mars, advancing the nation's technological and engineering capabilities, and significantly improving humanity's understanding of ancient Martian habitable environments."^[14] Curiosity's rover design serves as the basis for NASA's 2021 Perseverance mission, which carries different scientific instruments.

^ "Where Is Curiosity?". science.nasa.gov. NASA. April 18, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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^ Chang, Ailsa (August 6, 2022). "What a decade of Curiosity has taught us about life on Mars". NPR. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference NAA-20130312 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[where-is-curiosity?-1] "Where Is Curiosity?". science.nasa.gov. NASA. April 18, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

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[NPR-20220806-13] Chang, Ailsa (August 6, 2022). "What a decade of Curiosity has taught us about life on Mars". NPR. Retrieved August 6, 2022.

[NAA-20130312-14] Cite error: The named reference NAA-20130312 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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