NASA administrator John Grunsfeld has called on children to take notice of the space agency's latest mission.

He said: "Love space? Love robots? If so, the Curiosity mission is for you!"

Grunsfeld added that the rover was essentially "a robot in space with a laser that zaps rocks!

"It doesn't get any better than that kids!"

The Mars rover Curiosity landed on the Red Planet on Sunday after 350 million-mile journey from Earth.