AFP – Wednesday robot Curiosity has made his first trip to Mars, the perimeter of the area where it landed early August, named by NASA "Bradbury Landing "in tribute to the legendary American author of science fiction Ray Bradbury, who died last June.

"In his honor, we named the place Curiosity landed + + Landing Bradbury (Bradbury The landing zone)," said Michael Meyer, chief scientist of the Mars Exploration Program at , NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory since (JPL) in Pasadena, near Los Angeles. 

The announcement coincided with the first movement – a few meters – Curiosity on Mars, Wednesday successfully conducted as a prelude to his departure for the area Glenelg in the coming days.

Ray Bradbury, who would have turned 92 years old on Wednesday, "had already achieved immortality with hundreds of new and nearly 50 novels. His books have inspired us, the Martian Chronicles + + inspired Curiosity and open our minds to the possibility of a form of life on Mars, "he said.

Prior to the announcement, the JPL has released a video of Ray Bradbury among NASA scientists gathered at the occasion of the arrival in orbit around Mars probe Mariner 9 in November 1971.

The author of "Fahrenheit 451" it says, before an audience laughing: "I was hoping that these days, as we neared Mars and the dust cleared, we would open Martians standing with large signs that could be read: + Bradubury was right! + ". 

Away from the full potential of the mission

Profilique The author died in Los Angeles in early June, helped to popularize science fiction to the general public, and invented a life on Mars has captured the imagination many researchers and scientists.

"It was also a friend of JPL," said Pete Theisinger responsible for Curiosity mission, stating that the writer had visited last time the premises of JPL in 2009.

The Curiosity mission team also confirmed that the robot had turned its wheels for the first time Wednesday.

"Curiosity drove for the first time on Mars today, with success. We have a mobility system in perfect working on our robot, "said Matt Heverly, head of displacement Curiosity.

The robot, which had not changed since his arrival in the Gale Crater on the night of 5 to 6 August, advanced about four meters forward before Rotate to the right 90 degrees, then backtrack a few meters.

"This places the robot at about 6 meters from the place where it landed 16 days ago," said NASA.  

A photo taken by Curiosity from its new position clearly shows the traces of its wheels on the Martian soil, and the circular marks left by the retros "overhead crane" who die placed on the Red Planet.

Pete Theisinger welcomed the success of the mission jsuqu'ici, while remaining cautious thereafter. "We are in the 16th day of a two-year mission, we have not yet put our arms (articulated) on the ground and we have not tested our ability to recover samples, which is a key element of the scientific mission, "he said.

"So even if everything went well so far, we have checked two boxes of our minimum requirements: take off time (the Earth) and land on Mars . We are still far from reaching the full potential of this mission, "he concluded.