The Mars science laboratory is set to go to Mars between November 25 and December 18, 2011 which will mean that it lands on Mars in August 2012. Curiosity, as the Mars science laboratory is known, could get their a bit sooner but it all depends on alignments and communication.
For maximum information on landing the planners want a direct link with curiosity rather than a relay through NASA’s Mars Odyssey which has been in orbit around Mars since 2001. The planners want to keep an eye on curiosity as it lands and make sure they can understand what goes wrong if something does go wrong.
A new landing technique is being used which is called a sky Crane manoeuvre. A rocket powered stage will lower curiosity directly to a surface touchdown.
Curiosity, when it eventually gets there, will actually be able to look at samples and do tests on them on the surface of Mars looking for all sorts of interesting things such as life or indications of life.
Mars laboratory landing
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