SAN FRANCISCO — A critically important element of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), the sophisticated radar needed to help guide the 1,000-kilogram Curiosity rover gently onto Martian soil, is set to begin an extensive series of tests. NASA engineers have attached the radar to a helicopter to evaluate the accuracy of its measurements over varied terrain throughout Southern California.

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Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient...