Science & Technology

Mars Rover Ready to Actually Rove and Stuff

Nobody actually cares anymore.

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Less than two weeks after a pitch-perfect landing on Mars, the Curiosity is getting ready to roll along the Martian soil and pull out its rock-shooting laser for the first time.

Since the landing, engineers have been testing Curiosity's 10 spectacular instruments, checking to make sure they all work. It has measured the local environment, determining the temperature was 37 degrees Fahrenheit. It has also taken photos of the surrounding terrain, such as the image above which shows layered bedrock at the base of Mount Sharp, the rover's eventual target.