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World :: Mountain May Hold Clue To Life On Mars

Nasa has released an image of the mountain that its mars rover will attempt to climb as it searches for signs of life on the red planet.

The peak, dubbed Mount Sharp is 3.4 miles high and scientists think its lower layers may hold clues to past environmental change.

The robot Curiosity landed on Mars on Monday in one of the most complex space missions ever attempted.

 Scientists say although the mission has gone well so far, it may be weeks before they can tell if life has ever existed on the planet.

"Curiosity's middle name might be Patience because it does take time before we'll be ready to drill," said mission manager Jennifer Trosper.

 "We need to check out the arm and how it's behaving in this sort of environment and how it survived the landing."

Over the next few days, it is expected to send back the first colour images.

There will also be several weeks of checks that all the equipment is working correctly.

 Then the six-wheel rover could take its first short drive and flex its robotic arm that has a power drill and a laser.

For the next two years it will use them to break rocks and scoop up soil, exploring whether the planet's environment might once have supported life in the form of microscopic organisms.