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,
Scientific information from the Mars Exploration Rover mission the Martian sky. A transit of Mercury from Mars took place on January 12, 2005 from about 14:45 UTC to 23:05 UTC, but camera resolution did not permit seeing Mercury's 6.1" angular diameter. Transits of Deimos across the Sun were seen, but at 2' angular diameter, Deimos is about 20 times larger than Mercury's 6.1" angular diameter. Scientific information from the Mars Exploration Rover mission NASA's 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Mission has amassed an enormous amount of scientific information related to the Martian geology and atmosphere, as well as providing some astronomical observations from Mars. This article covers information gathered