KSC-2011-6824
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The first stage of the Atlas V rocket for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission begins its trip from the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida to the launch pad. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V-541 configuration will be used to loft MSL into space. Curiosity’s 10 science instruments are designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release its gasses so that the rover’s spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth. MSL is scheduled to launch Nov. 25 with a window extending to Dec. 18 and arrival at Mars Aug. 2012. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston
Usage Rights
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
Keywords
Details
NASA ID
KSC-2011-6824
Date Created
September 8, 2011
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Cape Canaveral, FL
Downloads
Download this image in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.