Which NASA mission carried the Curiosity rover to Mars in 2011?
Answer
Mars Science Laboratory
NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission carried the Curiosity rover to Mars in 2011.
The mission launched from Cape Canaveral on November 26, 2011, and landed Curiosity inside Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. Its landing used a new “sky crane” system: after atmospheric entry and parachute descent, a powered descent stage lowered the rover on cables before flying away.
Curiosity was designed to determine whether Gale Crater ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life. The rover carries cameras, a laser instrument, a drill, and laboratory equipment that can analyze powdered rock and soil. It discovered ancient evidence of freshwater streams and lake environments.
Mars Science Laboratory is the mission name, while Curiosity is the rover’s name. Mars Pathfinder was an earlier NASA mission that delivered the Sojourner rover in 1997. Mars Exploration Rover refers to the twin-rover mission that landed Spirit and Opportunity in 2004.