The rover named Curiosity will be carried to Mars by an Atlas V rocket, which is already awaiting liftoff at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Curiosity weighs one ton, and it's twice as long as earlier Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity. It has a 7-feet mast which will carry cameras and a laser-firing instrument which will enable it to study targets from a distance, as well as a 7-foot-long arm for studying targets up close.
All in all, the rover carries 10 scientific instruments; among other things, the rover will be capable of determine the composition of rock and soil samples, gather weather information and measure radiation levels.
If everything goes according to plan, Curiosity will land on the Mars in August 2012, where it will examine the Gale Crater which NASA calls "potentially habitable."
Besides laying down the foundation for a possible manned mission to Mars in the future, Curiosity should also bring important pointers for answering the question of whether life has existed on Mars.
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[via NASA]