Overview

• JPL engineers added autonomy routines that allow Curiosity to consolidate multiple tasks—such as driving and data relay—into single sequences to shorten mission days.
• The rover can initiate early rest periods when tasks finish ahead of schedule, cutting down on battery recharge cycles and saving energy.
• Curiosity’s MMRTG nuclear generator provides consistent power but yields less daily energy as its plutonium fuel decays, necessitating careful budgeting.
• Engineers have implemented mechanical workarounds—reworking drill procedures, fixing a camera filter wheel and deploying an algorithm to reduce wheel wear—to maintain functionality after 22 miles of travel.
• While exploring Mount Sharp’s boxwork formations, Curiosity continues its search for signs of ancient water that might indicate past subsurface habitability.