Curiosity (rover) conditions favorable for microbial life, including investigation of the role of water; and planetary habitability studies in preparation for human exploration. In December 2012, "Curiosity" two-year mission was extended indefinitely. On August 5, 2017, NASA celebrated the fifth anniversary of the "Curiosity" rover landing and related exploratory accomplishments on the planet Mars. The rover is still operational, and as of , "Curiosity" has been on Mars for sols ( total days) since landing on August 6, 2012. "(See current status.)" "Curiosity" design will serve as the basis for the planned Mars 2020 rover. As established by the Mars Exploration Program,
Crewed Mars rover Crewed Mars rover Crewed Mars rovers are vehicles for transporting people on the planet Mars, and have been conceptualized as part of human mission to that planet. Two types of crewed Mars rovers are pressurized and unpressurizedunpressurized designs may have open seating for a crew in Mars space suits, and another style has a pressurized interior for people to work without a space suit. Pressurized rovers have been envisioned for short trips from a Mars base, or they may be equipped to be more of a mobile base or laboratory. They are also called "manned Mars rovers" Crewed Mars rovers