Key Dates:
- 2011: Launch
- Status: Under study
Mars Science Laboratory Mission Information:
Mars Science Laboratory will be a long-range, long-duration mobile lab. Its mission will be to continue the study of Martian geology from the surface and pave the way for a possible future sample return.
The lab will be delivered to Mars on the first of a new generation of smart landers. Instead of using airbags to cushion the spacecraft during landing, this next-generation lander will use precision landing and hazard avoidance to touch down on promising but difficult-to-reach sites of scientific interest.