Catholics should celebrate the successful landing of NASA's new Mars rover, the Director of the Vatican Observatory has said.The Curiosity landed on Mars on Sunday and will explore the planet for two years.
Jesuit Father Jose Funes said that the mission was an important one that would contribute to a search for organic elements on the surface of Mars that could indicate the planet could support living organisms.
Father Funes said the Church had no reason to fear the discovery of life forms on other
planets.
He said: "The reason why the Catholic Church has an observatory is because we are not afraid of the truth, whatever the truth might be. The search for life is worthwhile. We can learn many things, even if we cannot find signs of life."