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NASA's Rocket to Mars is Ready to Launch

November 25, 2011 | WMFE - The rocket that will carry NASA's new Mars Rover into space is now on the launch pad ahead of a lift-off scheduled for tomorrow morning. The Atlas V rocket rolled out to the pad just after 8:00 this morning.

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The rocket is set to launch at 10:02 Saturday morning carrying a new, 2 and a half billion dollar, roving science lab to Mars.
The mission is an important one for space scientists. NASA spokesman George Diller says the rover is expected to reveal crucial information about the possibility of life on the red planet. 
 “We’re hoping with the Curiosity Rover to be able to actually dig into some of these rocks and examine then in a way that lets us se what’s in them, see how they’re layered and get an idea what the evolutionary process on Mars has been.” Diller said.
It will take the Curiosity Rover about 9 months to travel the 350 million miles to Mars. It’s expected to land in August of next year.

 

 

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