Bradbury Landing

The landing site is a smooth region in "Yellowknife" Quad 51[12][13][14][15] of Aeolis Palus inside the crater in front of the mountain.

[17] The landing site contains material washed down from the wall of the crater, which will provide scientists with the opportunity to investigate the rocks that form the bedrock in this area.

This rock outcrop, along with several others further eastward, including "Link" and "Hottah", suggest the "vigorous" flow of water in an ancient streambed.

Certain minerals, including the clay and sulfate-rich layers near the bottom of Gale's mountain, are good at latching onto organic compounds—potential biosignatures—and protecting them from oxidation.

Curiosity may be able to investigate these layers in the canyon closest to the landing ellipse, gaining access to a long history of environmental change on the planet.

"[2] As part of the naming, NASA released a video of Bradbury from 1971 reading his poem "If Only We Had Taller Been" which is about the human quest to explore space.

Bradbury Landing – the Curiosity Rover Landing Site (August 14, 2012).
MSL debris field (August 17, 2012). Parachute landed 615 m (2,018 ft) away. [ 1 ] (3-D: rover / parachute )
Map of Gale Crater with Aeolis Mons rising in the middle of the crater.
Curiosity rover view from Bradbury Landing (August 9, 2012) [ 25 ]
In honor of the naming of Bradbury Landing , NASA released a video of Ray Bradbury from 1971 reading his poem, "If Only We Had Taller Been" (poem begins at 2:20, full text [ 26 ] ).
Map of Mars Acheron Fossae Acidalia Planitia Alba Mons Amazonis Planitia Aonia Planitia Arabia Terra Arcadia Planitia Argentea Planum Argyre Planitia Chryse Planitia Claritas Fossae Cydonia Mensae Daedalia Planum Elysium Mons Elysium Planitia Gale crater Hadriaca Patera Hellas Montes Hellas Planitia Hesperia Planum Holden crater Icaria Planum Isidis Planitia Jezero crater Lomonosov crater Lucus Planum Lycus Sulci Lyot crater Lunae Planum Malea Planum Maraldi crater Mareotis Fossae Mareotis Tempe Margaritifer Terra Mie crater Milankovič crater Nepenthes Mensae Nereidum Montes Nilosyrtis Mensae Noachis Terra Olympica Fossae Olympus Mons Planum Australe Promethei Terra Protonilus Mensae Sirenum Sisyphi Planum Solis Planum Syria Planum Tantalus Fossae Tempe Terra Terra Cimmeria Terra Sabaea Terra Sirenum Tharsis Montes Tractus Catena Tyrrhen Terra Ulysses Patera Uranius Patera Utopia Planitia Valles Marineris Vastitas Borealis Xanthe Terra
The image above contains clickable links Interactive image map of the global topography of Mars , overlain with locations of Mars Memorial sites . Hover your mouse over the image to see the names of over 60 prominent geographic features, and click to link to them. Coloring of the base map indicates relative elevations , based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor . Whites and browns indicate the highest elevations ( +12 to +8 km ); followed by pinks and reds ( +8 to +3 km ); yellow is 0 km ; greens and blues are lower elevations (down to −8 km ). Axes are latitude and longitude ; Polar regions are noted.
( Named • Debris • Lost )