Curiosity Learns a Brutal Lesson While Roving Mars

The Mars Rover just celebrated its two-year anniversary. The Rover was sent to Mars to research whether or not Mars had or has conditions favorable for life. During its first year, the rover discovered that Mars may have contained enough water to support microorganisms.

These findings have come at a cost to the SUV-sized robot’s condition. The rover periodically uses its cameras to take “selfies” to update the team at NASA. From the image above, we can see that Mars has coated the rover in red dust. However, this intergalactic dusting is the least among worries about the rover. The terrain is more hazardous than expected and it’s damaged the rover’s wheels, as you can see below.

To minimize further damage, scientists have re-routed the rover’s course. The rover is still on track to meet all its checkpoints in the future and reach the base of Mount Sharp.

NASA has put together an amazing website where you can learn everything about the Mars mission, such as:

• What tools the rover uses
• Daily images of Mars
• Even send Curiosity a postcard to congratulate the two year milestone

Check out these interactive images to see the rover’s first few days compared to its current state.

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All images courtesy of NASA/JPL