NASA Set to Land Rover on Mars

A NASA graphic that shows the locations of the cameras on the Curiosity rover.

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A NASA graphic that shows the locations of the cameras on the Curiosity rover.

​​NASA is set to land an exploratory vehicle on the planet Mars early Monday morning.

The nuclear powered, one-ton rover, called Curiosity, will hunt for evidence of microbes on Mars and harvest a host of data and images from the planet.  But first it has to land safely, completing an 8-month journey.

NASA scientists say the landing of the Curiosity, which is traveling at a speed of 21,240 kilometers per hour, is the most challenging they have ever attempted.

If the landing is successful, Curiosity will begin unlocking clues about possible life on Mars.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.