Mars Curiosity rover first drive

Mars Curiosity rover first drive; Ray Bradbury landing - latimes.com: "After two weeks of taking stock of its surroundings, the Mars Curiosity rover has taken its first "baby steps" and sent back images of its first tracks, NASA officials said Wednesday.

Engineers sent the commands Tuesday night for this first drive, which took about 16 minutes -- mostly spent taking pictures, said lead rover driver Matt Heverly. During the test, the rover moved forward about 4½ meters, turned 120 degrees in place and then backed up 2½ meters -- ending up about 6 meters, or roughly 20 feet, from its landing spot. As it moved forward, its boxy head turned from side to side, taking shots of its wheels in the process."