Mars Science Laboratory
MSL cruise configuration | |
| Mission type | Mars rover |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| COSPAR ID | 2011-070A |
| SATCAT no. | 37936 |
| Website | science.nasa.gov |
| Mission duration |
|
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | JPL |
| Launch mass | 3,839 kg (8,463 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | November 26, 2011, 15:02:00.211 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V 541 (AV-028) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| Mars rover | |
| Spacecraft component | Curiosity |
| Landing date | August 6, 2012, 05:17 UTC (12 years, 10 months and 14 days ago) |
| Landing site | Bradbury Landing, Gale Crater 4°35′22″S 137°26′30″E / 4.5895°S 137.4417°E |
| Distance driven | 30.00 km (18.64 mi) as of 30 May 2023 |
MSL (Curiosity) mission patch Large Strategic Science Missions Planetary Science Division | |
Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed Curiosity, a Mars rover, in Gale Crater on August 6, 2012. The overall objectives include investigating Mars' habitability, studying its climate and geology, and collecting data for a human mission to Mars. The rover carries a variety of scientific instruments designed by an international team.