Selecting a Landing Site

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Where to land? And where to look?

Curiosity is tasked with collecting data on the past habitability of Mars and an integral part of this is looking for evidence of where water might have once been. 

In order for Curiosity to fulfill this mission it must be sent to a location likely to have contained water in the past. However, this is easier said than done – with only a limited sphere of verifiable information scientists must rely on educated guess work and satellite photography to pick out locations that may be able to fulfill Curiosity's requirements. 

Having chosen the landing site, the team must then figure out the best way to look for past traces of water in that location, whether this be in mineral deposits or though the geological layering of rocks.