Mission Overview
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Development of the Mars Science Laboratory project began in 2003. On November 26 2011, the Mars Science Laboratory mission launched a spacecraft on a trajectory to Mars, and on August 6, 2012 (UTC), it landed a mobile science vehicle named Curiosity at a landing site in Gale Crater. During the trip to Mars, instrument health checks were performed and the Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) instrument collected science data. For the primary mission on the surface of Mars (ending September 28, 2014), the rover explored the landing site and gathered imaging, spectroscopy, composition data, and othermeasurements for selected Martian soils, rocks, and the atmosphere.
These data will allow the science team to quantitatively assess the habitability and environmental history. The prime mission's science objectives were to assess the biological potential of the landing site, characterize the geology of the landing region, investigate planetary processes that influence habitability, and characterize the broad spectrum of surface radiation. The first extended mission retains all of the prime mission's objectives and will also strive to: identify and quantitatively assess the subset of habitable environments that are also capable of preserving organic compounds, and explore and characterize major environmental transitions recorded in the geology ofthe foothills of Mt. Sharp and adjacent plains.

The science instruments, with an acronym or abbreviation and Principal Investigator (PI) are listed below:
Science Instrument PI------------------------------------------------- --------------------
Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) Ralf Gellert Chemical Camera (ChemCam) Roger Wiens Chemistry & Mineralogy (CheMin) David Blake Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN) Igor Mitrofanov Mast Camera (Mastcam) Michael Malin Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) Kenneth Edgett Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) Michael Malin Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) Don Hassler Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) Javier Gomez-Elvira Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Paul Mahaffy

Mission Phases
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The Mars Science Laboratory Mission is divided in time into six phases: (1) Development; (2) Launch; (3) Cruise and Approach; (4) Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL); (5) Primary Surface Mission; and (6)Extended Surface Mission.


DEVELOPMENT
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Development of the Mars Science Laboratory mission began in October 2003 with concept and technology development, followed by preliminary design and technology development completion from March 2006 through September 2006, final design and fabrication from September 2006 through January 2008, and system assembly, integration, and test fromlate January 2008 until launch on November 26, 2011.

Spacecraft Id : MSL Target Name : MARS Mission Phase Start Time : 2003-10-01 Mission Phase Stop Time : 2011-11-26 Spacecraft Operations Type : ROVER

LAUNCH
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The launch phase began when the spacecraft switched to internal power prior to launch and ended when the spacecraft reached a thermally stable commandable configuration after separation from the launch vehicle upper stage. MSL was launched on an ATLAS V 541 launch vehicle on November 26 2011 at 15:02 UTC (10:02 EST) from Cape Canaveral AirForce Station, Florida.

Spacecraft Id : MSL Target Name : MARS Mission Phase Start Time : 2011-11-26 Mission Phase Stop Time : 2011-11-26 Spacecraft Operations Type : ROVER

CRUISE AND APPROACH
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The cruise and approach phase began when the launch phase ended, and ended 30 minutes prior to entry into the Mars atmosphere. The MSL spacecraft used a ballistic Type 1 interplanetary transfer during cruise from Earth to Mars. The major activities during cruise included: checkout and maintenance of the spacecraft in its flight configuration; monitoring, characterization, and calibration of the spacecraft and payload systems; software parameter updates; attitude correction turns; navigation activities for determining and correcting the vehicle's flight path; and preparation for EDL and surface operations. ThreeTrajectory Correction Maneuvers (TCMs) were conducted during cruise.
The only science investigation during cruise was radiation monitoringby the RAD instrument.

Approach began 45 days before entry into the Martian atmosphere and ended 30 minutes before entry. During approach, the focus of operations was primarily on navigation activities (including a fourth and final TCM eight days before landing), and preparation for entry,descent, and landing.

Spacecraft Id : MSL Target Name : MARS Mission Phase Start Time : 2011-11-26 Mission Phase Stop Time : 2012-08-06 Spacecraft Operations Type : ROVER

ENTRY, DESCENT, AND LANDING
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The entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase began when the Cruise and Approach Phase was over (30 minutes before atmospheric entry), and ended when the rover reached a thermally stable, positive energy balance, commandable configuration on the surface of Mars. During this phase, a series of events was self-triggered on the spacecraft. Before entry, the thermal loop was vented and the cruise stage was jettisoned. The entry vehicle, consisting of the backshell, heat shield, descent stage, and rover, performed a series of guided maneuvers. Cruise balance masses separated to adjust the center of mass of the entry vehicle. At 3522.2 km from the center of Mars, the vehicle entered the atmosphere. This was followed by peak heating, peak deceleration, supersonic parachute deploy, and heat shield separation. At the appropriate time, the descent stage engines started, the backshell and parachute separated, and the MARs Descent Imager (MARDI) started recording video. As the descent stage approached the surface using powered descent, at an altitude of about 18.6 m, the rover was lowered on a descent rate limiter and bridle umbilical device to 7.5 m below the descent stage, and its wheels were deployed into the touchdown configuration. The descent stage continued descending until the rover touched down on the surface of Mars. The rover landed in Gale Crater at the latitude of 4.5895 degrees South, and longitude of 137.4417 degrees East, in late southern winter (Solar Longitude L=150.7), at 15:03 Local Mean Solar Time on Mars (August 6, 2012, 05:18 UTC Spacecraft Event Time). Upon successful touchdown, the descent rate limiter and bridle umbilical device were cut. The descent stage flew away and impacted the surface 650 meters away fromthe rover.

Spacecraft Id : MSL Target Name : MARS Mission Phase Start Time : 2012-08-06 Mission Phase Stop Time : 2012-08-06 Spacecraft Operations Type : ROVER

PRIMARY SURFACE MISSION
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The surface phase began when the EDL phase ended and will end when the mission is declared complete. The flight mission was designed to provide for a surface mission phase duration of at least one Mars year(687 days, or 669 sols).

Following touchdown, a combination of automated rover sequences and planned checkouts was executed in order to bring the rover up to a basic level of functionality and to verify that the rover systems and payload were all operating as expected. A surface initial checkout period was defined as starting at successful rover touchdown on Mars with descent stage separation/fly-away, and concluded with atransition to normal tactical operations.

Originally, the prime mission was expected to last through Sol 670 but the project was given an extension of about 3 months, in order to syncup the beginning of its 1st Extended Mission with the NASA fiscal year.

Spacecraft Id : MSL Target Name : MARS Mission Phase Start Time : 2012-08-06 Mission Phase Stop Time : 2014-09-28 Spacecraft Operations Type : ROVER

EXTENDED SURFACE MISSION
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The extended surface phase began on Sol 764.

Spacecraft Id : MSL Target Name : MARS Mission Phase Start Time : 2014-09-29 Mission Phase Stop Time : UNK Spacecraft Operations Type : ROVER