Curiosity’s touchdown on the Martian surface

On August 6, 2012, Curiosity, in the Mars Science Laboratory, landed on the surface of Mars. Specifically Mount Sharp inside of Gale Crater. It was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on November 26, 2011.

Curiosity is the size of a car, therefore dwarfing any other rover sent to Mars.  

This is a list of scientific instruments aboard Curiosity:

-ChemCam

-MastCam

-REMS

-SAM

-Antenne UHF

-RTG

-Antenne Grand Gain

-DAN

-RAD

-MARDI

-APXS

-MAHLI

-CheMin

Curiosity is powered by Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), which was also used by the Viking rovers in 1976. The RTG produces energy by using the natural decay of Plutonium-238. That is then converted to electricity. The extra electricity is used to heat the pipes or is released. Curiosity can take microscopic photographs from close-up and take regular photos from a couple of feet away.