Mars Landing 2012: The New Search for Life

This one-hour special introduces the audience to a team of dedicated scientists who brought Curiosity to life. Brand new science and technology that had never been attempted made this mission a reality. From her custom-built heat shield designed to withstand intense 1,600 C degree heat and speeds up to 21,735 km/hr, to her state-of-the-art supersonic parachute. A revolutionary sky crane touchdown system was developed specifically for this mission, its job: get Curiosity to the surface of Mars. For the first time ever, a rover will be able to supply NASA - and the rest of the world - with stunning HD images from 17 different cameras. She will be able to zap rocks with a laser that's as powerful as a million light bulbs focused on the head of a pin. She will drive for hundreds of kilometers and use her massive robotic arm to drill into Gale Crater to help answer questions of life. Curiosity is set to break all records.