Editing Mars Science Laboratory (section)

== Overview ==
[[File:Mars and Elysium - GPN-2000-000919.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hubble Space Telescope|Hubble]] view of Mars: [[Gale crater]] can be seen. Slightly left and south of center, it is a small dark spot with dust trailing southward from it.]]
MSL carried out the most accurate Martian landing of any spacecraft at the time, hitting a target landing ellipse of {{convert|7|by|20|km|mi|abbr=on}},<ref name="Updated landing area"/> in the [[Aeolis Palus]] region of Gale Crater. MSL landed {{convert|2.4|km|abbr=on}} east and {{convert|400|m|abbr=on}} north of the center of the target.<ref>{{cite conference |url=http://issfd.org/ISSFD_2012/ISSFD23_IN1_1.pdf |title=Mars Science Laboratory Navigation Results |conference=23rd International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics. Pasadena, California. October 29 – November 2, 2012. |first1=Tomas J. |last1=Martin-Mur |first2=Gerhard L. |last2=Kruizinga |first3=P. Daniel |last3=Burkhart |first4=Mau C. |last4=Wong |first5=Fernando |last5=Abilleira |year=2012 |page=17 |id=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140819122926/http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/dspace/handle/2014/43257 Beacon record]}}</ref><ref name="Actual landing spot"/> This location is near the mountain [[Aeolis Mons]] (a.k.a. "Mount Sharp").<ref name="NASA-20120328"/><ref name="Space-20120329"/><ref name="MSL-main_page"/>

The Mars Science Laboratory mission is part of NASA's [[Mars Exploration Program]], a long-term effort for the robotic [[exploration of Mars]] that is managed by the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] of [[California Institute of Technology]]. The total cost of the MSL project was US$2.5 billion.<ref name="leone"/><ref name="spacenews20120810">{{cite news |url=http://www.spacenews.com/article/msl-readings-could-improve-safety-human-mars-missions |title=MSL Readings Could Improve Safety for Human Mars Missions |work=Space News |first=Dan |last=Leone |date=August 10, 2012 |access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref>

Previous successful U.S. Mars rovers include ''[[Sojourner (rover)|Sojourner]]'' from the [[Mars Pathfinder]] mission and the [[Mars Exploration Rover]]s ''[[Spirit (rover)|Spirit]]'' and ''[[Opportunity (rover)|Opportunity]]''. ''Curiosity'' is about twice as long and five times as heavy as ''Spirit'' and ''Opportunity'',<ref name="MSLUSAToday"/> and carries over ten times the mass of scientific instruments.<ref name="Wired-20120625"/>