The newest Mars rover, Curiosity, dwarfs NASA’s previous rovers in size and scientific prowess. John Matson reports.

[Launch audio: “And liftoff of the Atlas 5 with Curiosity”]

NASA’s newest Mars rover blasted off November 26th from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Standing seven feet tall and weighing in at 2,000 pounds, Curiosity dwarfs NASA’s previous rovers in both size and scientific prowess.

It’s powered by a plutonium fuel source and packs a laser that can vaporize rocks from several feet away to measure their composition. It also carries several high-tech instruments to pick up samples and make definitive identifications of minerals on the Martian surface.   [Read More...]