Curiosity is about the size of a mini cooper and is four times more heavy than the Spirit and Opportunity which were launched in 2004. The Curiosity also comes with a larger robot arm, a laser that can split rocks, a weather station, and a percussive drill for drilling rocks. Unlike the Spirit and Opportunity, Curiosity also has on board 10.5 pounds of plutonium-238! Yes, Curiosity is nuclear-powered instead of solar powered like the previous rovers. No sun is required to power the systems on board.

The NASA Curiosity rover is set to land at the Gale Crater, a 150km wide depression  which includes a 5km high mound of sediments which may have once been flooded with water millions of years ago. Mars rover Curiosity should give us a great glimpse into this ancient past and provide us with more proof of water and possibly life that once lived on Mars.