Mission Overview
  ================
    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 other
    measurements 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 of
    the 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
  ==============
    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
    -----------
      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 from
      late 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
    ------
      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 Air
      Force 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
    -------------------
      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. Three
      Trajectory Correction Maneuvers (TCMs) were conducted during cruise.
      The only science investigation during cruise was radiation monitoring
      by 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
    ---------------------------
      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 from
      the 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
    -----------------------
      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 a
      transition 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 sync
      up 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
    ------------------------
      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