It's been a year since the Curiosity rover first touched down on Mars. In that time, the rover has used its robotic arm to dig and drill at the red planet --- and determine that yes, it was capable of harbouring single cell microbal life.

While it's encouraging news, astronauts aboard the International Space Station say a manned mission to Mars is still a distant dream.

Next up for the rover is investigating a mound of sediment called Mount Sharp and figuring out which sections of the planet are more hospitable to life.

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