ULA Atlas V 541 MSL (Curiosity)
Atlas V 541
Status
Success
Date
26 NOV 2011
15:02
Launch Provider
United Launch Alliance
Launch Pad
Space Launch Complex 41
Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Mission Overview
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, featuring the renowned Curiosity rover, was designed to assess the planet's past and present habitability. Equipped with an array of advanced scientific instruments, including a drill and a sample analysis unit, Curiosity explored the Gale Crater, a site believed to contain evidence of ancient Martian environments. It delivered groundbreaking discoveries, including the detection of organic molecules and the confirmation of an ancient, potentially habitable lake bed.
Rocket
Atlas V 541
Mission Type
Robotic Exploration
Orbit
Mars Orbit
Stages
2
Livestream
Height
60 m
Diameter
3.8 m
Launch Mass
479 T