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Saturday, Dec 29, 2012 12:15 PM UTC

Road trip on tap for NASA’s Mars rover in new year

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Topics: From the Wires,

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — NASA’s newest Mars rover is gearing up for a road trip. But first, it has to drill into a rock.

Curiosity’s first priority in the new year is to test out its drill. Mission managers had wanted to get it done this year, but they ran out of time because other activities took longer than expected.

The car-size rover landed in a crater near the Martian equator over the summer to great fanfare. Since then, it has been taking it slow.

Curiosity is expected to start the drive to a mountain in mid-February after drilling is complete. Scientists predict it’ll take nine months to get there with stops along the way.

The rover is on a two-year mission to determine whether the landing site could have been favorable for life.

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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