The Denver Museum of Nature & Science invites visitors to see a full-scale model of NASA's "mega-rover" Curiosity-the largest mobile spacecraft ever launched to another planet-now on display at the Museum until January. Curiosity is the centerpiece of the Mars Science Laboratory mission which landed the rover safely on Mars on August 5.

The full-scale model-on loan from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory-is located on Level 1 of the Museum near T. Rex Café. Museum volunteers will be available to answer questions from visitors. The Museum plans to have programming involving the rover in the coming weeks. More details will be provided as they become available.

"We are excited to have this life-size model onsite for visitors to get an up close look at the rover," said Steve Lee, the Museum's curator of planetary science. "After an absolutely perfect landing, we look forward to watching as Curiosity explores this fascinating region of Mars over the next two years."

During its two-year mission, Curiosity will analyze dozens of samples drilled from rocks or scooped from the ground using an extensive payload of scientific gear. Curiosity is about twice the size and five times as heavy as the extremely successful twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which have been on the Red Planet since early 2004. Curiosity's target is the lower slopes of Mount Sharp, a mountain of layered rocks rising 18,000 feet above the floor of Gale Crater. Observations of this region from orbit by earlier Mars missions indicate liquid water was present here at some point in the past. Curiosity is expected to assess whether the crater has ever had or still has environmental conditions favorable for supporting microbial life.

Learn more about the MSL mission by clicking here.