Mars Curiosity

This Aug. 26, 2003 image made available by NASA shows Mars photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope on the planet's closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. NASA's robotic rover Curiosity landed safely on Mars late Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012 to begin two years of exploration. (AP Photo)

NASA's Curiosity rover and its parachute, left, descend to the Martian surface on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012. The inset image is a cutout of the rover stretched to avoid saturation. The rover is descending toward the etched plains just north of the sand dunes that fringe Mt. Sharp. (AP Photo)

NASA's Curiosity rover and its parachute, left, descend to the Martian surface on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012. The high resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera captured this image of Curiosity while the orbiter was listening to transmissions from the rover. (AP Photo)

This photo provided by NASA shows a full resolution version of one of the first images taken by a rear Hazard Avoidance camera on NASA's Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars the Sunday evening, Aug. 5, 2012. (AP Photo)

This image taken by NASA's Curiosity shows what lies ahead for the rover its main science target, informally called Mount Sharp Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. The rover's shadow can be seen in the foreground, and the dark bands beyond are dunes. Rising up in the distance is the highest peak of Mount Sharp at a height of about 5.5 kilometers, taller than Mt. Whitney in California. (AP Photo)

This image taken by NASA's Curiosity shows what lies ahead for the rover its main science target, informally called Mount Sharp, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012. The rover's shadow can be seen in the foreground, and the dark bands beyond are dunes. (AP Photo)