1. What is the planet Mars like? Mars is a cold desert world, half the size of Earth. It has seasons, polar ice caps, volcanoes, canyons, and weather. It has a very thin atmosphere made of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon .

2. What are scientists looking for on Mars? Scientists are looking for evidence that there was once life on Mars, as well as studying the planet’s climate and geology.

3. When did the Curiosity rover land on Mars? The Curiosity rover landed on Mars on August 6, 2012.

4. What does it collect and study? The Curiosity rover collects soil and rock samples on Mars and studies them to determine if there was ever life on Mars.

5. What does it use computers for? Computers are used to control missions to Mars and process data.

6. What do scientists now know about Mars? Scientists know about the climate and geology of Mars, as well as that there was once water on the planet.