2012 was a memorable year for Science.
From an Austrian 's record-breaking jump to Earth to the death of two space pioneers, here are the unforgettable science news stories that are worth reviewing before the calendar year rolls over.
Also, check out the biggest research breakthroughs of the year.
NASA's Curiosity rover successfully lands on Mars.
After 253 days of travel, a one-ton robot named Curiosity touched down in Mars' Gale Crater in August. Curiosity has been rolling around the Martian surface for five months now, tweeting a lot and snapping loads of pictures.
So far from her travels we've learned that Mars's Gale Crater used to be flowing with water, the Red Planet's soils look like Hawaiian sands, and astronauts could tolerate radiation on the surface of Mars, for at least a few months. The $2.5-billion robot will continue to look for signs of life on Mars during the rest of her two-year planned mission.
How A Team Of Scientists Dropped A One-Ton Science Lab On Mars Completely Unscathed >
Bobak Ferdowsi becomes an international celebrity after the Mars Curiosity rover landing.
Bobak Ferdowsi, a flight director for the Mars rover mission, became the surprise star of the Curiosity landing, mainly because of his stars-and-stripes Mohawk. He also cried after touchdown was confirmed.
Now widely known as "Mohawk Guy," Ferdowsi has picked up more than 50,000 Twitter followers since NASA's live streaming of the rover landing and seems to be handling international fame well.
Meet NASA's Mohawk Guy Who Stole The Show From Curiosity >
Felix Baumgartner breaks the speed of sound in 24-mile plunge to Earth.
Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner trained for five years to become the first person to break the speed of sound without an aircraft. In October, Baumgartner captivated millions of people by riding a balloon-hoisted space capsule 128,000 feet above Earth and then jumping. Preliminary data shows that he reached of top speed of 833.9 mph and succeeded in breaking the sound barrier.
One Fear Nearly Destroyed Felix Baumgartner's Bid To Break The Sound Barrier >
See the rest of the story at Business Insider