After over a decade of navigating the Martian floor, NASA’s Curiosity rover is displaying indicators of wear and tear and tear on its wheels. Since touchdown in Gale Crater in 2012, the rover has travelled round 20 miles (32 kilometres) throughout rugged terrain, and its six wheels are wanting fairly battered. Latest photos captured by the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on September 22, 2024, reveal varied varieties of harm, from minor dents to main gashes.
Vital Harm Noticed
Ashley Stroupe, a Mission Operations Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), reassured fanatics that regardless of the in depth harm, the wheels stay purposeful. The rover’s wheels have exhibited deterioration for years, with seen put on first famous as early as 2013. Provided that the one-ton rover traverses uneven surfaces full of jagged rocks, some harm was anticipated. Consequently, the Curiosity group initiated common inspections of the wheels to watch their situation carefully.
Efforts to Protect Wheel Lifespan
In an effort to protect the wheels’ lifespan, the group sometimes directed Curiosity away from treacherous terrains. Moreover, in 2017, engineers at JPL uploaded new software program that permits the rover to regulate the pace of every wheel. This adjustment helps minimise the strain utilized to the wheels whereas traversing rocky landscapes.
Ongoing Mission and Future Insights
Regardless of the continuing put on and tear evident within the newest photos, Curiosity continues its scientific mission to discover Mars and seek for indicators of historical microbial life. Insights gained from the harm noticed in Curiosity’s wheels have already knowledgeable the design enhancements for the wheels on the Perseverance rover. Expectantly, Curiosity’s wheels will proceed to carry up, permitting the rover to additional its exploration of the Martian floor.
