Mars rover performing 'almost flawlessly'

Answer 1

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is about to finish its final round of mechanical checks in preparation for its first lengthy drive across the surface of Mars on Friday.

On its 37th day on Mars, scientists say Curiosity has performed "almost flawlessly" in tests of its instruments, components and software.

The plan is for Curiosity to drive towards a site that has 3 types of terrain and then continue to Mount Sharp, a mountain formed from rock layers that is 3 miles high. Curiosity will stop when it finds a rock that scientists deem suitable for sample testing.

The goal of the mission is to determine if life ever existed on Mars.