Rover ‘prepares way for human mission to Mars’

Nasa has beamed back a set of spectacular pictures from Mars — and a first voice message — likening it to the lunar landmark led by Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon who died last week.

In the audio message, broadcast from the surface of the red planet by the Curiosity rover, Nasa administrator Charles Bolden forecast that a manned mission to Mars could happen “in the not too distant future”.