The biggest and most technically advanced rover to date is scheduled to land on Mars this Sunday, August 5, at approximately 10:30 pm PDT. The Astro Bulletin below, from the Museum's Science Bulletins program, follows Curiosity as it leaves the launching pad on Cape Canaveral and begins its journey to the red planet. Equipped with more gear than the two previous rovers combined, Curiosity is designed to collect and process samples and then distribute them to testing chambers inside scientific instruments carried onboard. Test results and images of Mars's surface will be transmitted to NASA through radio relays via Mars orbiters.
To see a model of the Curiosity rover, visit Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration before it closes on August 12.