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CURIOSITY VIDEOS

Challenges of Getting to Mars: Launching a Mars Rover

January 26, 2012

Video of the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Nov. 26, 2011, onboard an Atlas V rocket.

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This close-up image of a dust storm on Mars was acquired by the Mars Color Imager instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Nov. 7, 2007.
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This close-up image of a dust storm on Mars was acquired by the Mars Color Imager instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on Nov. 7, 2007.
Martian Dust Storm
The graph at right presents information from the NASA Curiosity Mars rover's onboard analysis of rock powder drilled from the "Big Sky" and "Greenhorn" target locations, shown at left.
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The graph at right presents information from the NASA Curiosity Mars rover's onboard analysis of rock powder drilled from the "Big Sky" and "Greenhorn" target locations, shown at left.
'Big Sky' and 'Greenhorn' Drill Holes and CheMin X-ray Diffraction
Since landing on Mars in August 2012, NASA's Curiosity rover has been exploring 3-mile-high Mt. Sharp in Gale Crater.
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Curiosity poster illustration containing its accomplishments.
Curiosity: 10 Years of Martian Mountain Climbing
Holden Crater
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Holden Crater
Holden Crater
This photograph of the NASA Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, was taken during testing on June 3, 2011. The location is inside the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Labo...
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This photograph of the NASA Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, was taken during testing on June 3, 2011. The location is inside the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Mars Rover Curiosity Raising Turret
This map shows the route driven by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity through the 43rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission on Mars (Sept. 19, 2012).
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This map shows the route driven by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity through the 43rd Martian day, or sol, of the rover's mission on Mars (Sept. 19, 2012).
Curiosity Traverse Map Through Sol 43
A beautiful sun rises on Florida's space coast as preparations are underway for mating the final solid rocket motor (SRM) to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Faci...
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A beautiful sun rises on Florida's space coast as preparations are underway for mating the final solid rocket motor (SRM) to a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Dawn's Warm Glow
Curiosity science team member Sanjeev Gupta explains how rounded pebbles spotted by the rover are convincing evidence of an ancient streambed on Mars.
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Mars Streambed
Mars Streambed
This oblique, southward-looking view of Gale crater shows the landing site and the mound of layered rocks that NASA's Mars Science Laboratory will investigate.
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This oblique, southward-looking view of Gale crater shows the landing site and the mound of layered rocks that NASA's Mars Science Laboratory will investigate.
Context of Curiosity Landing Site in Gale Crater, with Ellipse
This image from NASA's Curiosity rover shows the first sample of powdered rock extracted by the rover's drill.
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This image from NASA's Curiosity rover shows the first sample of powdered rock extracted by the rover's drill.
First Curiosity Drilling Sample in the Scoop (Raw-colored)
Camera and robotic-arm maneuvers for taking a self-portrait of the NASA Curiosity rover on Mars were checked first, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., using the main test rove...
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Camera and robotic-arm maneuvers for taking a self-portrait of the NASA Curiosity rover on Mars were checked first, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., using the main test rover for the Curiosity.
Self-Portrait of Curiosity's 'Stunt Double'
ASA's Curiosity Mars rover used the Navigation Camera (Navcam) on its mast to catch this look-back eastward at wheel tracks from driving through and past "Dingo Gap" inside Gale Crater.
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ASA's Curiosity Mars rover used the Navigation Camera (Navcam) on its mast to catch this look-back eastward at wheel tracks from driving through and past "Dingo Gap" inside Gale Crater.
Curiosity Making Headway West of 'Dingo Gap'
The Curiosity engineering team created this view from images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover rear hazard avoidance cameras underneath the rover deck on Sol 0.
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The Curiosity engineering team created this view from images taken by NASA's Curiosity rover rear hazard avoidance cameras underneath the rover deck on Sol 0.
A View From Below the Rover Deck
This view captures Curiosity's current work area where the rover continues its campaign to study an active sand dune on Mars.
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This view captures Curiosity's current work area where the rover continues its campaign to study an active sand dune on Mars.
Curiosity's Play Space at a Martian Sand Dune
Astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Education, has a little fun with teachers while talking about how to eat snacks in space. Melvin served on board the Space Shuttle Atlant...
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Astronaut Leland Melvin, NASA's Associate Administrator for Education, has a little fun with teachers while talking about how to eat snacks in space. Melvin served on board the Space Shuttle Atlantis as a mission specialist for STS-122 and STS-129.
An Astronaut's Perspective: Eating Snacks in Space
This image maps the traverse of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity from "Bradbury Landing" to "Yellowknife Bay," with an inset documenting a change in the ground's thermal properties with arrival at a dif...
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This image maps the traverse of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity from "Bradbury Landing" to "Yellowknife Bay," with an inset documenting a change in the ground's thermal properties with arrival at a different type of terrain.
Curiosity's Traverse into Different Terrain (Sol 121)
This image, taken with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, shows a mesa within the "Murray Buttes" area on Mars showing a complex fracture pattern (black arrow) protrudi...
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This image shows a mesa (grayish) within the "Murray Buttes" area on Mars showing a complex fracture pattern (black arrow) protruding from the eroding rock.
'Murray Buttes' Mesa
The total distance driven by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity passed the one-mile mark a few days before the first anniversary of the rover's landing on Mars.
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The total distance driven by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity passed the one-mile mark a few days before the first anniversary of the rover's landing on Mars.
Full Curiosity Traverse Passes One-Mile Mark
The network of cracks in this Martian rock slab called "Old Soaker" may have formed from the drying of a mud layer more than 3 billion years ago.
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Photo displaying network of cracks on Martian rock slab called "Old Soaker"
"Old Soaker"
A close-up image of a 2-inch-deep hole produced using a new drilling technique for NASA's Curiosity rover. The hole is about 0.6 inches across (1.6 centimeters). This image was taken by Curiosity's...
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A close-up image of a 2-inch-deep hole produced using a new drilling technique for NASA's Curiosity rover. The hole is about 0.6 inches across (1.6 centimeters). This image was taken by Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Sol 2057. It has been white balanced and contrast enhanced.
Curiosity Successfully Drills "Duluth"
Mastcam 34: Shorter Focal-Length Eye of Mast Camera Pair for Mars Rover
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Mastcam 34: Shorter Focal-Length Eye of Mast Camera Pair for Mars Rover
Mastcam 34: Shorter Focal-Length Eye of Mast Camera Pair for Mars Rover
This animation shows a proposed route up Mount Sharp that NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover could follow in the future. “Rafael Navarro Mountain” is marked along the way.
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animation shows a proposed route up Mount Sharp that the rover could follow in the future
The Route Past Rafael Navarro Mountain
This image shows a close-up of the rock named "Crest," taken by the remote micro-imager (RMI) on Curiosity's Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument above the analysis of the elements detected by...
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This image shows a close-up of the rock named "Crest," taken by the remote micro-imager (RMI) on Curiosity's Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument above the analysis of the elements detected by using ChemCam's laser to zap the target.
Calcium-Rich Veins in Martian Rocks (Crest)
This image maps the traverse of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity from "Bradbury Landing" to "Yellowknife Bay," with an inset documenting a change in the ground's thermal properties with arrival at a dif...
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This image maps the traverse of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity from "Bradbury Landing" to "Yellowknife Bay," with an inset documenting a change in the ground's thermal properties with arrival at a different type of terrain.
Curiosity's Traverse into Different Terrain (Sol 121)
This panorama captured by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover shows a location nicknamed “Pontours” where scientists spotted preserved, ancient mud cracks believed to have formed during long cycles of wet ...
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NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover found preserved, ancient mud cracks that scientists believe were formed after long cycles of wet and dry conditions over many years.
Curiosity Views Mud Cracks in the Clay-Sulfate Transition Region

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