These pictures show the four potential landing sites that NASA scientists will try and send the new rover, Curiosity, which is tipped to become the next Mars explorer.The robot will replace the Phoenix Mars lander after recent photos taken of it from orbit revealed that it had been damaged on its latest voyage.
Curiosity is due to land in one of four key locations across the red planet known as Mawrth Vallis, Gale crater, Holden crater and Eberswalde crater in the near future.
The rover will determine whether Mars is or ever was habitable to microbial life. New technical improvements to the spacecraft mean landing sites will also be more scientifically rich than anywhere the landers have gone before.
Using new technology called 'guided entry, the spacecraft will be able to steer itself through the atmosphere like a guided missile instead of flying passively like a shuttlecock.
This is the first time the technology has been used and means Curiosity requires a much smaller landing area than its predecessor.
This latest rover is also designed to slow down much quicker than other spacecrafts and will be able to land on higher terrain which opens up bigger areas of exploration. It is also designed to operate in extreme cold. Read More
