Curiosity Begins a New Phase in the Exploration of Mars

Starting this Monday, the scientific community has the opportunity to establish whether the climate of Mars ever contributed to small life forms by starting a new phase in the exploration of that planet.

After leaving Earth Nov. 26, 2011 and traveling 567 million kilometers, the NASA spacecraft Curiosity successfully landed on Mars in the morning and started sending back images of red planet.

The interplanetary wave carries 10 science experiments on board; it is equipped with a robotic arm that can drill stones, can climb over obstacles up to 65 inches high and travel about 200 meters per day. It is also equipped with sophisticated tools for the exploration of Mars. It has 17 cameras, a laser that can inspect the composition of rocks from a distance and tools that can also analyze samples of the soil and rocks.

Curiosity’s objective is to study whether the Martian environment once had the conditions that would allow microorganisms to live.

The president of the United States, Barack Obama, said the successful landing of Curiosity on Mars marks an unprecedented feat in technology becoming a national pride for the future.