Watch: NASA's Curiosity drives on after crossing Martian dune

Watch: NASA's Curiosity drives on after crossing Martian dune
By Euronews
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button
ADVERTISEMENT

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover is continuing its traverse toward enticing science destinations after climbing over a dune spanning a gap in a ridge.

The rover covered 135 feet (41.1 meters) on Feb. 9, in its first drive since the 23-foot (7-meter) crossing of the dune on Feb. 6. That put Curiosity’s total odometry since its August 2012 landing at 3.09 miles (4.97 kilometers).

An animated sequence of images from the low-slung Hazard-Avoidance Camera on the rear of the vehicle documents the up-then-down crossing of the dune.

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Project is using Curiosity to assess ancient habitable environments and major changes in Martian environmental conditions. JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, built the rover and manages the project for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

The series of nine images making up this animation were taken by the rear Hazard-Avoidance Camera (rear Hazcam) on NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover as the rover drove over a dune spanning “Dingo Gap” on Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Share this articleComments

You might also like

How private companies aiming for the Moon are ushering in a new age of space exploration

NASA reassured after detecting signal from Voyager 2 probe

Elon Musk’s SpaceX calls off the attempted launch of Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket