Topics » Science & Technology Aug. 15, 2012
Mars Revealed by Intrepid New Rover
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Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA
Spacecraft Landing Ellipses
Using a guided entry technique, scientists landed the Mars Science Laboratory and its rover, Curiosity on the Mars surface on August 5.
This graphic shows how much the landing ranges for Mars spacecraft have shrunk over the years, as technology has become more precise. The largest ellipse is from the landing site of Viking, the first spacecraft to reach Mars in 1976.
This graphic shows how much the landing ranges for Mars spacecraft have shrunk over the years, as technology has become more precise. The largest ellipse is from the landing site of Viking, the first spacecraft to reach Mars in 1976.
