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.
Gliese 687 40% of the Sun's mass and nearly 50% of the Sun's radius. Compared to the Sun, it has a slightly higher proportion of elements with higher atomic numbers than helium. It appears to have a rotation of 60 days and to be somewhat chromospherically active. It displays no excess of infrared radiation that would indicate orbiting dust. It is known to have a planet, Gliese 687 b, with a mass of 18.394 Earth masses (which makes it comparable to Neptune), an orbital period of 38.14 days, and a low orbital eccentricity. Gliese 687 is a solitary red dwarf that emits