Curiosity With Fairings
The Curiosity rover sits inside its protective aeroshell and is being encapsulated in the rocket fairings that will protect it during launch from Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 25, 2011.
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), integration of the Mars Science Laboratory into the Atlas V payload fairing is under way this week. On Nov. 1, it will be hoisted atop the payload transporter. MSL will be moved to Launch Complex 41 during the overnight hours of Nov. 2.

Curiosity has 10 science instruments to search for evidence about whether Mars has had environments favorable for microbial life, including chemical ingredients for life. The unique rover will use a laser to look inside rocks and release the gasses so that its spectrometer can analyze and send the data back to Earth.

More information about Curiosity is online at: http://www.nasa.gov/msl or http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/.

George H. Diller 321-867-2468
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
george.h.diller@nasa.gov

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