Curiosity takes a spin on Mars, completes short test drive

NASA's $2.5 billion rover takes a short spin on Mars, proving that the mobile science lab is, in fact, mobile -- and ready to begin roaming about Gale Crater to look for signs of past or present habitability.

                In a major milestone, the six-wheel Curiosity Mars rover took its first baby steps today, rolling about 15 feet forward, performing a slow 120-degree pirouette, and then backing up 8 feet to prove the $2.5 billion science lab is, in fact, mobile -- and ready to rove.
The short test drive began at 7:17 a.m. PT and took about 16 minutes to complete. The actual drive time was about a third of that, but the rover was programmed to stop and take multiple pictures of its tracks in the dusty, pebble-strewn soil of Gale Crater.