NASA’s Curiosity rover touches down on Mars

The 10ft long, 9ft wide vehicle arrived at 06.31GMT this morning after departing from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 26 November. It's been sent as part of a $2.5billion mission to see whether the red planet does in fact have what it takes to nurture microbial life. Now on Mars, Curiosity's sophisticated robotic arm, instruments and imagers will analyse the soil for organic compounds, investigate the composition of the Martian surface and determine the atmospheric cycling and processes. 10.6 pounds of plutonium will power its two year mission. Curiosity is twice as long and five times as heavy as earlier Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. It is equipped to carry a set of 10 different instruments, including cameras, lasers, a 7ft tall jackhammer, analytical instruments and laser firing equipment. According to Doug McCuistion, director of NASA's Mars exploration programme, the vehicle is the largest and most complex piece of equipment to ever be placed on the surface of another planet.