NASA says the success of its rover Curiosity has paved the way for a human conquest of Mars.
Since landing on the planet on 6 August, 2012, Curiosity has beamed information back to Earth that is expected to be vital when a manned mission to Mars eventually takes place.
Curiosity, which is roughly the size of a small 4x4 vehicle and weighs around a ton, has establishing beyond doubt that the environment of Mars is capable of supporting microbial life in the distant past.
''That dramatic touchdown a year ago and the science findings since then - advance us toward further exploration, including sending humans to an asteroid and Mars," said NASA administrator Charles Bolden.
"Wheel tracks now will lead to boot prints later."
Since landing on Mars, Curiosity has provided more than 190 gigabits of data - equivalent to around 45,600 songs stored in MP3 files - and transmitted 36,700 full images and 35,000 thumbnail images.
The rover has also fired more than 75,000 laser shots to investigate the composition of the surface of Maras, while collecting and analysing sample material from two rocks.
