CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) - If the previous Mars rover was a Jeep, the newest version is a high-tech Rolls Royce.
Nicknamed Curiosity, the new rover is the size of a car and is equipped with a complete laboratory that will give it the ability to analyze rocks and soil with unprecedented accuracy. To collect samples, it also has a 7-foot arm tipped with a jackhammer and a laser to break through the Martian red rock.
Once on the red planet, Curiosity will be on the lookout for organic, carbon-containing compounds. While the rover can't actually detect the presence of living organisms, scientists hope to learn from the $2.5 billion, nuclear-powered mission whether Mars has - or ever had - what it takes to nurture microbial life.
It's scheduled for launch Saturday.
