KSC-2011-7646
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an Atlas V rocket's payload fairing bears the NASA logo above the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) logo, depicting the mission's compact car-sized rover, Curiosity. Tucked inside the fairing is the MSL spacecraft, including Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for evidence on whether Mars has had environments favorable to microbial life, including the 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. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is planned for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
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Details
NASA ID
KSC-2011-7646
Date Created
October 31, 2011
Center
KSC
Media Type
image
Location
Kennedy Space Center, FL
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