The rover's rocker-bogie suspension system has little difficulty negotiating rocks that are twice the diameter of its wheels. (Part 2 of 2) Recorded at the opening of the newly remodeled Mars Yard at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on June 19, 2007, the "scarecrow" model of Mars Science Laboratory (so named because it "has no brain") is put through its paces. It was demonstrated to have no difficulty climbing meter-sized boulders, but to avoid risk the actual rover will not be driven over rocks taller than its wheels while on Mars.

Emily Lakdawalla