Ultimate Mars Challenge

NOVA: It could be NASA's last chance to set wheels down on Mars until the end of the decade. In August 2012, a rover named Curiosity touched down inside Mars' Gale Crater, carrying ten new instruments that will advance the quest for signs that Mars might have once been suitable for life. But Curiosity's mission is risky. After parachuting through the Martian atmosphere at twice the speed of sound, Curiosity was gently lowered to the planet's surface by a 'sky crane'. This first-of-its-kind system has been tested on Earth, but never on Mars. With inside access to the massive team of scientists and engineers responsible for Curiosity’s on-the-ground experiments, investigators chronicle the exhilarating moments after Curiosity's landing, as well as the spectacular discoveries to come.