NASA wants new Mars rover to have big year

Curiosity will travel to mountain in 2013

ORLANDO, Fla. – NASA says that the new year will be a big one for its newest Mars rover, Curiosity.

The agency says that its goal in 2013 is to drive the rover to a mountain called Mount Sharp -- a trip that will likely take the entire year.

When the rover gets there, it'll drill into rocks, and test soil in the area, to see if the planet was ever capable of supporting life.

NASA says the rover will start its trip to Mount Sharp sometime in February.

Curiosity cost about $2.5 billion to build and operate, and landed on Mars back in August.

NASA hopes it'll be able to work on the red planet for at least two years.


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