NOVA Season 40 Episode 4 Synopsis

It could be NASA's last chance to set wheels down on Mars until the end of the decade: This August, a rover named Curiosity will touch down inside Mars. Gale Crater, carrying 10 new instruments that will advance the quest for signs that Mars might once have been suitable for life. But Curiosity's mission is risky. After parachuting through the Martian atmosphere at twice the speed of sound, Curiosity will be gently lowered to the planet's surface by a "sky crane". This first-of-its-kind system has been tested on Earth, but will it work on Mars? With inside access to the massive team of scientists and engineers responsible for Curiosity's on-the-ground experiments, NOVA will be there for the exhilarating moments after Curiosity's landing - and for the spectacular discoveries to come.

NOVA Season 40 Episodes...

• s40e01 - Secrets of the Viking Sword
• s40e02 - Forensics on Trial
• s40e03 - Mystery of Easter Island
• s40e04 - Ultimate Mars Challenge
• s40e05 - Inside the Megastorm
• s40e06 - Doomsday Volcanoes
• s40e07 - Decoding Neanderthals
• s40e08 - Rise of the Drones
• s40e09 - Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby?
• s40e10 - Building Pharaoh's Chariot
• s40e11 - Earth From Space
• s40e12 - Mind of a Rampage Killer
• s40e13 - Meteor Strike
• s40e14 - Ancient Computer
• s40e15 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Awakening
• s40e16 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Life Explodes
• s40e17 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Monsters
• s40e18 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Strange Creatures
• s40e19 - Manhunt - Boston Bombers
• s40e20 - Oklahoma's Deadliest Tornadoes

NOVA Show Summary

Seen in more than 100 countries, NOVA is the most watched science based television series in the world and the most watched documentary series on PBS. It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won many major television awards, most of them many times over.