Mars rover to find out if we're alone
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="Are">Are</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="alone">alone</span>? <span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="planet">planet</span>? <span word="NASA">NASA</span>'<span word="s">s</span> $2.5 <span word="billion">billion</span> <span word="dream">dream</span> <span word="machine">machine</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Mars">Mars</span> <span word="Science">Science</span> <span word="Laboratory">Laboratory</span>, <span word="aims">aims</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="steps">steps</span> <span word="toward">toward</span> <span word="finding">finding</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="nears">nears</span> <span word="Mars">Mars</span>' <span word="surface">surface</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="planet">planet</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="closest">closest</span> <span word="neighbor">neighbor</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="signs">signs</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="water">water</span> <span word="there">there</span>, <span word="hinting">hinting</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="likely">likely</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="Mars">Mars</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dry">dry</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="thin">thin</span> <span word="atmosphere">atmosphere</span>, <span word="extreme">extreme</span> <span word="winters">winters</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="dust">dust</span> <span word="storms">storms</span>.</p><p><span word="NASA">NASA</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="Mars">Mars</span> <span word="Science">Science</span> <span word="Laboratory">Laboratory</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="rover">rover</span>, <span word="Curiosity">Curiosity</span> - <span word="designed">designed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hunt">hunt</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="soil">soil</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="signatures">signatures</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="send">send</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="data">data</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="prepare">prepare</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="future">future</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="mission">mission</span> - <span word="landed">landed</span> <span word="safely">safely</span> <span word="at">at</span> 1:31 <span word="am">am</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="about">about</span> 14 <span word="minutes">minutes</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="touchdown">touchdown</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="happens">happens</span> <span word="due">due</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="spacecraft">spacecraft</span> <span word="signals">signals</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="travel">travel</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Mars">Mars</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="late">late</span> <span word="Saturday">Saturday</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laboratory">laboratory</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="approximately">approximately</span> 420,039 <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Mars">Mars</span>, <span word="closing">closing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="around">around</span> 13,000 <span word="km">km</span> <span word="per">per</span> <span word="hour">hour</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Curiosity">Curiosity</span> <span word="remains">remains</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="health">health</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="systems">systems</span> <span word="operating">operating</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="expected">expected</span>," <span word="NASA">NASA</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="statement">statement</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="space">space</span> <span word="agency">agency</span> <span word="added">added</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="catalyst">catalyst</span> <span word="bed">bed</span> <span word="heaters">heaters</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="process">process</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="prepare">prepare</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="Mars">Mars</span> <span word="Lander">Lander</span> <span word="Engines">Engines</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="MSL">MSL</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="descent">descent</span> <span word="propulsion">propulsion</span> <span word="system">system</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="nuclear">nuclear</span>-<span word="powered">powered</span> <span word="rover">rover</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="biggest">biggest</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="built">built</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="planetary">planetary</span> <span word="exploration">exploration</span>, <span word="weighing">weighing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="at">at</span> 1 <span word="ton">ton</span>, <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="size">size</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="car">car</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="carries">carries</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="complex">complex</span> <span word="chemistry">chemistry</span> <span word="kit">kit</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="zap">zap</span> <span word="rocks">rocks</span>, <span word="drill">drill</span> <span word="soil">soil</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="test">test</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="radiation">radiation</span>.</p>
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