NASA's next mission to Mars gets rolling, as engineers on the mobility team cross a finish line of their own. Just complete is fabrication of the wheels for the Mars Science Laboratory rover. In 2010, the SUV-sized rover will land on Mars, touching down on all six of its truck-sized wheels, ready to drive. This dust-busting wheel will soon join with its shock-absorbing, titanium spokes and the perfectly balanced springs that will snap them into place. With only 18 months to get the rover ready, the mission team will be driving hard to build their rover, test it, and send it on its way!

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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