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,
When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (or NASA's Greatest Missions: When We Left Earth in the UK) is a Discovery Channel HD documentary miniseries consisting of six episodes documenting American human spaceflight, spanning from the first Mercury flights through the Gemini program to the Apollo moon landings, the Space Shuttle, and the construction of the International Space Station. It was created in association with NASA to commemorate the agency's fiftieth anniversary in 2008. It first aired on June 8, 2008, and concluded on June 22. Each airing consisted of two hour-long episodes.