Mars Science Lab Rover --2010

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Determine whether life ever arose on Mars

Characterize the climate of Mars

Characterize the geology of Mars

Prepare for human exploration

Mars Science Laboratory

Spacecraft
Planned Launch: Fall, 2009
Arrival: October, 2010

Biological objectives:
Determine the nature and inventory of organic carbon compounds
Inventory the chemical building blocks of life (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur)
Identify features that may represent the effects of biological processes

Geological and geochemical objectives:
Investigate the chemical, isotopic, and mineralogical composition of the martian surface and near-surface geological materials
Interpret the processes that have formed and modified rocks and soils

Planetary process objectives:
Assess long-timescale (i.e., 4-billion-year) atmospheric evolution processes
Determine present state, distribution, and cycling of water and carbon dioxide

Surface radiation objective:
Characterize the broad spectrum of surface radition, including galactic cosmic radiation, solar proton events, and secondary neutrons

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Scientists looking for evidence of life on Mars have turned to technology invented by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill researchers to help with their mission.

A team from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., has created a device for use on the European ExoMars rover mission scheduled for launch in 2013. That space voyage is one of several planned expeditions to the red planet that will follow in the footsteps of NASA's Phoenix mission, which landed on Mars late last month and this week began preparing to test soil samples.

http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Tec..._Mars_999.html