The Mars Science Laboratory or Curiosity of the American space agency, NASA will soon touch down in Mars' Gale crater, the agency announced.

Gale crater is a depression with a diameter of 96 miles lying at 4.5° south 137.4° east. According to NASA, Curiosity will aim to land at foot of a mountain inside the crater, "rising higher from the crater floor than Mount Rainier rises above Seattle".

"The portion of the crater where Curiosity will land has an alluvial fan likely formed by water- carried sediments. The layers at the base of the mountain contain clays and sulfates, both known to form in water," NASA said.

Curiosity will look to detect water as well as organic compounds. However, Michael Meyer, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA HQ said the chances of finding organic compounds are rare.

Curiosity is due to launch from Cape Canaveral between 25 November and 18 December and becomes the focus of space watches after the last mission of NASA’s space shuttle Atlantis was finished with its landing recently.