Curiosity rover to land in Mars’s Gale Crater to look for life, finally answer Bowie’s nagging questions

It’s gotten its own photo shoot , some cool animation , and the interest of James Cameron — and now Curiosity finally has a destination. NASA’s pluckily-named Mars rover is set to land next to a mountain inside the red planet’s 96-mile-wide Gale Crater. Curiosity is scheduled to touch down in August 2012 in search of life on the fourth rock from the sun. The crater, one of 60 suggested sites, was chosen due to its potential for a safe landing and the possibility of scientific discovery, thanks in part to nearby geographical formations that may have been created by water. Here’s hoping it encounters some serious space oddities when it gets there. Continue reading Curiosity rover to land in Mars’s Gale Crater to look for life, finally answer Bowie’s nagging questions Curiosity rover to land in Mars’s Gale Crater to look for life, finally answer Bowie’s nagging questions originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink

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