“We are wheels down on Mars” was the official word from mission
control as NASA’s new Mars rover, Curiosity, reached the surface of its new home.
I'm safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!!#MSL
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) August 6, 2012
Curiosity's first images showed pebbles, dust, and the shadow of the rover on the surface of Mars.
Curiosity will drill, sample, and
laser-shoot rocks on the Martian surface over the course of it's initial two years to figure out what minerals and
elements they contain. In particular, it will search for organic
carbon that could indicate fossilized life forms and also sniff the Martian atmosphere for gasses such as
methane that could be a sign of present-day life.
