NASA’s Curiosity rover has marked its 11th year on Mars by continuing to explore and study the Martian surface.
The robot recently investigated a location known as “Jau,” which is full of impact craters – providing scientists with a rare opportunity to closely examine multiple Martian craters in one location.
The largest of these is estimated to be the length of a basketball court.
The rover’s exploration of Jau is part of its journey into the foothills of Mount Sharp, a three-mile-tall mountain that was covered with lakes, rivers, and streams billions of years ago.
Each layer of the mountain corresponds to a different era of Mars’s ancient climate, and as the rover ascends, scientists gain more insight into the landscape’s evolution over time.
However, the climb up Mount Sharp has posed significant challenges, including a steep 23-degree incline, slippery sand, and rocks the size of the rover’s wheels.
This tricky terrain resulted in several unexpected stoppages as the rover navigated the route to Jau.
Despite these challenges, a detour proved successful, and the rover was able to reach its destination.
At Jau, scientists have been examining the crater cluster to understand how the relatively soft, salt-enriched rocks of the terrain influenced the formation and development of the craters.
Now that it has completed its work at Jau, the Curiosity rover is set to continue its mission higher up on Mount Sharp, exploring and investigating the Red Planet’s past.
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Source: NASA
