Main content

Nasa's Curiosity robot lands on Mars

Nasa's Curiosity robot lands on Mars. Jonathan Amos explores the billion dollar roving laboratory's mission to discover whether the Red Planet was once hospitable to to life.

After the most daring and complex landing of a robot on another planet, the search for evidence of life on Mars enters a new era.

Nasa's Curiosity rover is now sitting inside Gale Crater, a vast depression close to the Martian equator.

Also known as the Mars Science Laboratory, the one tonne machine is the most sophisticated science robot ever placed on another world.

Over the coming years Curiosity will climb a mountain at the crater's heart, gathering evidence on one of science's greatest questions – was there ever life on Mars?

The $2.5 billion project will discover whether Mars once had conditions suitable for the evolution and survival of life.

91Èȱ¬ Space specialist Jonathan Amos talks to mission scientists about where Curiosity is going and what it will do as it trundles up Mars' Mount Sharp.

(Image: Nasa's Curiosity rover. Credit: Nasa/JPL-Caltech/PA Wire)

Available now

18 minutes

Last on

Sun 12 Aug 2012 23:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 6 Aug 2012 18:32GMT
  • Tue 7 Aug 2012 03:32GMT
  • Tue 7 Aug 2012 10:32GMT
  • Sat 11 Aug 2012 18:32GMT
  • Sun 12 Aug 2012 23:32GMT

Space

The eclipses, spacecraft and astronauts changing our view of the Universe

The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

A pair of scientific sleuths answer your perplexing questions. Ask them anything!

Podcast