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Mars. August 2012.

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[ whooshes and pops ]

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[ rockets firing ]

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[ cheers ]

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Five years ago Curiosity
landed safely on Mars.

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Curiosity's assignment:

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explore a layered mountain
inside Gale Crater

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to learn if ancient Mars was
capable of supporting life.

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Curiosity has driven
over 10 miles,

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returned over 200,000 images,

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drilled 15 rock samples,

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and even took a few selfies.

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What has Curiosity found?

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Rounded pebbles that hint
of an ancient river.

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And a delta, where a river
emptied into an ancient lake.

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Lakes spanned the crater floor,

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leaving mud that built the
lower part of the mountain,

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inch by inch.

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The lakes came and went,
and eventually dried up.

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But groundwater persisted,
leaving minerals behind.

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Though constantly changing,
Gale Crater was habitable

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for millions of years.

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Three billion years later,

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a thinner atmosphere
keeps Mars dry and cold.

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Winds shape sand into
ripples and dunes,

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and dust devils swirl
across the landscape.

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Curiosity also has
monitored radiation

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from the sun and space...

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to help plan for the day

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when astronauts enjoy
this same Martian view.

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NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory