Curiosity Rover Seeks Out Life on Mars
See the first pictures from NASA's latest Mars mission.
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Searching for Signs of Life - At 1:32 a.m. ET Monday morning, engineers at NASA's Mars Science Laboratory in California erupted in applause after confirming that Curiosity, an SUV-sized space rover, had successfully made contact on the planet Mars. Curiosity will now begin a two-year mission to determine if the Red Planet ever had the environment to support small life forms called microbes. Keep reading for a look at Curiosity's extraordinary journey. —Britt Middleton Above, Mars is photographed in 2003 by the Hubble Space Telescope. (Photo: AP Photo/NASA)
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First Images - The rover Curiosity beamed back one of these images of Mars after completing its seven-minute descent through the planet's atmosphere. Curiosity is equipped with a nuclear-powered lab capable of vaporizing rocks, ingesting soil and measuring habitability. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech via Getty Images)
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Space Invader - No signs of E.T. yet, but in this image recorded by Curiosity on Sunday Mars' rocky surface is in full view. (Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech via Getty Images)
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Real Star Power - Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and NASA astronaut Leland Melvin were among the spectators visiting NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California, on Sunday. (Photo: REUTERS/Fred Prouser)
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A Closer View of Curiosity - Joined by Jim Garvin, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Sciences and Exploration Directorate Chief Scientist, Will.i.am checked out a mock-up of the Curiosity rover. The musician was there to support space education programs for students. (Photo: Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images)
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