Which launch vehicle sent Curiosity toward Mars in 2011?

An Atlas V 541 launch vehicle sent Curiosity toward Mars in 2011. The rocket lifted NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 41 on November 26, 2011.

The “541” designation describes the Atlas V configuration: a 5.4-meter payload fairing, four strap-on solid rocket boosters, and one engine on the Centaur upper stage. It was a powerful arrangement suited to sending the car-sized rover and its cruise stage onto a trajectory toward Mars.

Curiosity reached Mars on August 6, 2012, after traveling for more than eight months. The Atlas V was the launch vehicle, while Mars Science Laboratory was the mission and Curiosity was the rover itself. Delta II is associated with earlier Mars missions, including Spirit and Opportunity, whereas Falcon 9 and Long March 5 did not launch Curiosity.