[23] The MSL mission has four scientific goals: Determine the landing site's habitability including the role of water, the study of the climate and the geology of Mars.

To contribute to these goals, MSL has eight main scientific objectives:[24] About one year into the surface mission, and having assessed that ancient Mars could have been hospitable to microbial life, the MSL mission objectives evolved to developing predictive models for the preservation process of organic compounds and biomolecules; a branch of paleontology called taphonomy.

During the trip to Mars, VxWorks ran applications dedicated to the navigation and guidance phase of the mission, and also had a pre-programmed software sequence for handling the complexity of the entry-descent-landing.

If a particular surface is of interest, Curiosity can vaporize a small portion of it with an infrared laser and examine the resulting spectra signature to query the rock's elemental composition.

If the specimen warrants further analysis, Curiosity can drill into the boulder and deliver a powdered sample to either the SAM or the CheMin analytical laboratories inside the rover.

[88] On January 11, 2012, the spacecraft successfully refined its trajectory with a three-hour series of thruster-engine firings, advancing the rover's landing time by about 14 hours.

[89] Curiosity successfully landed in the Gale Crater at 05:17:57.3 UTC on August 6, 2012,[3][9][10][11] and transmitted Hazcam images confirming orientation.

[11] The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter sent a photograph of Curiosity descending under its parachute, taken by its HiRISE camera, during the landing procedure.

[97] Difficult terrain was favored for finding evidence of livable conditions, but the rover must be able to safely reach the site and drive within it.

[112] On July 22, 2011, it was announced that Gale Crater had been selected as the landing site of the Mars Science Laboratory mission.

[118] Prior to Centaur separation, the spacecraft was spin-stabilized at 2 rpm for attitude control during the 36,210 km/h (22,500 mph) cruise to Mars.

[125] During cruise, eight thrusters arranged in two clusters were used as actuators to control spin rate and perform axial or lateral trajectory correction maneuvers.

[27][126][127] Along the way, the cruise stage performed four trajectory correction maneuvers to adjust the spacecraft's path toward its landing site.

[121] A key task of the cruise stage was to control the temperature of all spacecraft systems and dissipate the heat generated by power sources, such as solar cells and motors, into space.

[121] Landing a large mass on Mars is particularly challenging as the atmosphere is too thin for parachutes and aerobraking alone to be effective,[129] while remaining thick enough to create stability and impingement problems when decelerating with retrorockets.

The spacecraft employed several systems in a precise order, with the entry, descent and landing sequence broken down into four parts[131][132]—described below as the spaceflight events unfolded on August 6, 2012.

Despite its late hour, particularly on the east coast of the United States where it was 1:31 a.m.,[9] the landing generated significant public interest.

Curiosity's touchdown time as represented in the software, based on JPL predictions, was less than 1 second different from reality.

A navigation computer integrated the measurements to estimate the position and attitude of the capsule that generated automated torque commands.

Ten minutes before atmospheric entry the aeroshell separated from the cruise stage that provided power, communications and propulsion during the long flight to Mars.

One minute after separation from the cruise stage thrusters on the aeroshell fired to cancel out the spacecraft's 2-rpm rotation and achieved an orientation with the heat shield facing Mars in preparation for Atmospheric entry.

[137] This guidance uses the lifting force experienced by the aeroshell to "fly out" any detected error in range and thereby arrive at the targeted landing site.

In order for the aeroshell to have lift, its center of mass is offset from the axial centerline that results in an off-center trim angle in atmospheric flight.

This was accomplished by ejecting ballast masses consisting of two 75 kg (165 lb) tungsten weights minutes before atmospheric entry.

This ability to change the pointing of the direction of lift allowed the spacecraft to react to the ambient environment, and steer toward the landing zone.

Prior to parachute deployment the entry vehicle ejected more ballast mass consisting of six 25 kg (55 lb) tungsten weights such that the center of gravity offset was removed.

[142] Following the parachute braking, at about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) altitude, still travelling at about 100 m/s (220 mph), the rover and descent stage dropped out of the aeroshell.

After the rover touched down, it waited two seconds to confirm that it was on solid ground by detecting the weight on the wheels and fired several pyros (small explosive devices) activating cable cutters on the bridle and umbilical cords to free itself from the descent stage.

The landing site is a smooth region in "Yellowknife" Quad 51[151][152][153][154] of Aeolis Palus inside the crater in front of the mountain.