Curiosity launch parameters

[Overlord]

Hi everybody,

I am writing a thesis for a high school competition in Serbia. Its name is "Use of computers in physics". One of the sections will feature a simulation of Curiosity's path to Mars.

I will vary two different parameters (launch date and the angle between launch velocity and Earth-Mars line), and see what effect that has on the spacecraft. In order to do that, I need some data.

Does anyone know the (maximum) speed the spacecraft achieved at launch?

The other thing I need to know is which vector NASA used. I know they fired MSL in ahead of Mars, but I need to know how much. In the program I will use the above mentioned angle, but any info that will help me calculate it will do. This angle will act as sanity check for the program.

During the flight, did they make any major trajectory changes?

Thanks in advance
Overlord

[arachnitect]

A little bit of info in here that might help:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20120106.html

Good luck.