DOWNEY - The public is invited to the Columbia Memorial Space Center on Nov. 25 to watch as NASA launches the Mars Science Laboratory.Doors open at 7 a.m. The launch is scheduled for 7:25 a.m. The mission is aimed to land and operate a rover named Curiosity on the surface of Mars some time between Aug. 6-20, 2012. The rover will help assess whether Mars is inhabitable and analyze samples taken from the soil and drilled powders from rocks. Admission is $5 per person or free for space center annual members. All launches are subject to weather and other unforeseen delays. For up-to-date launch information, call the space center at (562)‚Äà231-1200.

********** Published: November 17, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 31