On a Magic Carpet Ride

An artist's depiction of the Curiosity rover touching down on Mars. 

The Olympics might be the biggest news story on the planet right now -- but offworld, things are proving to be just as interesting. The new NASA rover, the Curiosity, touched down on Mars early Monday morning, to the cheers of NASA technicians and scientists.

It's not the first time a rover has been sent to Mars. Opportunity, originally sent to Mars in 2004 for a planned three months of operational time, has been working ever since. Another rover sent in 2004, Spirit, only ceased working in 2010. 

What sets the Curiosity apart from its fellow rovers is, in part, its mission goal. Curiosity is equipped with scientific tools designed to explore the surface of Mars for clues as to whether or not the planet was ever capable of sustaining microscopic organisms of life. 

With a successful landing down pat, Curiosity is poised to pull NASA into a new era of discovery. Check out the links below to find out more about this amazing mission -- and about other journeys we've taken into the stars.

From the Apollo 11 moon landing.

A Look at Another World:

-- "Greeley Panorama" from Opportunity's Fifth Martian Winter: Moving Panorama -- 817 images were taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars rover Opportunity, and then artificially colored. The images were then converted by artist Hans Nyberg into a moving panorama of the surface of Mars that must be seen to be believed. If you click on one link, make it this one! (You can see the original NASA photograph here.)

The Curiosity:

-- NASA Spacecraft, Curiosity Rover, Land Safely on Mars -- from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Curiosity cost $2.5 billion, took eight months to complete a 352-million mile journey ... and it all came down to the landing. Read the details here.

-- Mars Science Laboratory -- from NASA. This trip isn't just about the photos. Stay up-to-date on NASA's findings by following this link!  (You can also use this link to check out the latest photos coming back from the Curiosity, too -- including ones in color.)

-- Mars Rover Landing "Miracle of Engineering," Scientists Say -- from Reuters. Check out the first photos to be returned by the Curiosity!

-- An Inside Look at the Mars Curiosity Rover -- from Time Magazine. All about the making of the Curiosity, complete with photos of the rover "in progress."

Other space-links:

-- Voyager 1 Zooming Ever Closer to Edge of Our Solar System -- from NBC News. Curiosity isn't the only man-made spacecraft currently exploring the stars. Voyager 1 and 2, launched in 1977, are still going strong ... and Voyager 1 seems to be on the verge of leaving our solar system entirely.

-- The Great Moon Hoax -- from NASA. Some still claim that the 1969 moon landing was all a hoax, designed to ensure that the USA would appear to beat Russia in the space race. Here, NASA uses the evidence to dispute that theory.

Two Travelers:

-- Sally Ride -- NASA's biography about the first American woman in space.

-- Neil Armstrong -- Currently in the news for recovering from bypass surgery (soon after his 82nd birthday on August 5), Neil Armstrong is the first person to ever stand on the Moon. Watch the historical footage here:

-- Post by Ms. B