Mars lander on way to red planet

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida - A robotic geologist armed with a hammer and quake monitor rocketed toward Mars on Saturday, aiming to land on the red planet and explore its mysterious insides.

In a twist, NASA launched the Mars InSight lander from California rather than Florida's Cape Canaveral. It was the first interplanetary mission ever to depart from the US West Coast, drawing predawn crowds to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

"Mars, here I come! 6 months and counting to the Red Planet," the mission team tweeted.