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From VOA Learning English, this is In the News. |
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This week marks the first anniversary of a major exploration effort on Mars. |
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It has been 12 months since the exploration device called "Curiosity" landed on the distant planet. |
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Curiosity is named for the human condition of wanting to learn or know something. |
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The United States space agency, NASA, says Curiosity has driven more than 1.6 kilometers on Mars. |
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The device, called a "rover," is about the size of a car. |
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Curiosity has found evidence of an ancient riverbed and other signs of wet conditions. |
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NASA scientists say that with these discoveries, Curiosity has answered the question of whether conditions on ancient Mars could have supported life. |
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Jim Green leads the planetary division at NASA's Science Mission Directorate. |
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"We found all the ingredients of life as measured in this material that's deposited in this ancient riverbed. |
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Mars was habitable in its past." |
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Curiosity is a traveling laboratory that contains 10 scientific instruments. |
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The rover has found hydrogen, oxygen and other elements necessary for life. |
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The space agency says Curiosity has fired more than 75,000 laser shots. |
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The laser turns rocks and soil into gas. |
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The equipment on Curiosity then examines and identifies the materials on the Martian surface. |
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Curiosity has sent back more than 70,000 images that give a new understanding of Earth's neighboring planet. |
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Curiosity's findings will help set future Mars exploration. |
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NASA's Jim Green says the next mission will be launched in 2020. |
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"Knowing that Mars was an environment that was habitable in its past, |
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we're going to start seeking the signs of potential life that could have existed on Mars. |
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And that, if we could answer that question, will change everything." |
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Space scientists chose to explore Mars instead of other planets because of the Red Planet's similarities with our own. |
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NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system. |
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"If life exists beyond Earth, and I am one who believes that it may very well, |
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Mars, for me, is the most likely place that that life will be found." |
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Mr. Bolden spoke at an event to mark Curiosity's first year of exploring Mars. |
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Curiosity is traveling in the low area called Gale Crater, where it landed last year. |
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The crater was formed by an asteroid that hit Mars long ago. |
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It is a deep, 150-kilometer-wide area similar to a valley or canyon on Earth. |
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Curiosity is moving toward the area called Mount Sharp. |
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NASA scientists plan for the device to study the lower levels of that Martian mountain. |
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It will search for clues about how the planet has changed over time. |
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The rover will also search for a type of soil called "clay." Curiosity has found clay minerals on Mars. |
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Clay is evidence of once wet conditions on the planet. |
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Curiosity was designed to work for two years, but it could go on exploring and sending information back to Earth much longer. |
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And that's In the News from VOA Learning English. |
