NASA spacecraft barreling toward a Mars landing

This undated image made available by NASA shows Mars' Gale Crater, looking south. The formation is 96 miles (154 kilometers) in diameter and holds a layered mountain rising about 3 miles (5 kilometers) above the crater floor.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — After an 8 1/2-month voyage through space, NASA’s souped-up Mars spacecraft zoomed toward the red planet for what the agency hopes will be an epic touchdown.

The fiery punch through the tenuous Martian atmosphere at 13,000 mph Sunday night marks the ...

Published: 08/05/2012