Abstract
It was a beautiful day to begin a search for evidence of habitability on another planet. With an earlier nearby dust storm having dissipated, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft, carrying the Curiosity rover (also known as the MSL rover), completed a complex, daring, and perfectly executed descent through the Martian atmosphere to the planet's surface on 5 August. During the final 7‐minute descent period, with a time delay in receiving signals on Earth, the spacecraft's computer executed risky maneuvers, including guided entry and parachute deployment. Twenty meters above the surface, the instrument‐laden, 899‐kilogram Mars Curiosity rover was lowered flawlessly on nylon tethers from an innovative “sky crane” on the descent stage rocket.
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