Curiosity (rover) "Curiosity" comprised 23 percent of the mass of the "Mars Science Laboratory" (MSL) spacecraft, which had the sole mission of delivering the rover safely across space from Earth to a soft landing on the surface of Mars. The remaining mass of the MSL craft was discarded in the process of carrying out this task. The general sample analysis strategy begins with high-resolution cameras to look for features of interest. If a particular surface is of interest, "Curiosity" can vaporize a small portion of it with an infrared laser and examine the resulting spectra signature to query the rock's elemental composition.
International Year of Planet Earth support from individuals and organisations worldwide. The Year's Project Leader was former IUGS President Professor Eduardo F J de Mulder. The Year's Science Committee was chaired by Professor Edward Derbyshire (Royal Holloway) and its Outreach Committee by Dr Ted Nield (Geological Society of London). The International Year of Planet Earth project was initiated jointly by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The UN press release reads: "By a draft on the International Year of Planet Earth, 2008, which the Committee approved without a vote on 11 November, the Assembly