TORONTO – After a spectacular landing that left even the mission team in tears, the Martian rover Curiosity celebrated its first birthday on the Red Planet on August 6 (August 5 PDT).
Living in isolation on the Red Planet can be a bit lonely. But Curiosity found a way of cheering itself up: it sang “Happy Birthday.”
The large rover – designed with the objective of confirming whether or not the planet could have at one time supported life – has made numerous discoveries over the past 12 months.
Curiosity found carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur in the soil — all key ingredients necessary to support life. Curiosity also found clay minerals and smooth, rounded rocks which suggest fresh, possibly drinkable water once flowed across the planet.
Curiosity also sniffed the air and found methane. Methane is produced by living organisms. Though there has been no sign of any organisms on Mars, scientists continue to search.
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