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NASA Orbiter Captures Curiosity Rover in Motion for the First Time

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera photographed Curiosity traversing Gale Crater, revealing its progress toward key geological formations.

NASA’s Curiosity rover appears as a dark speck in this contrast-enhanced view captured on Feb. 28, 2025, by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Trailing Curiosity are the rover’s tracks, which can linger on the Martian surface for months before being erased by the wind. NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

Overview

  • The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured its first image of the Curiosity rover in motion on February 28, 2025, during its traverse of Gale Crater.
  • Curiosity left a 320-meter trail of wheel tracks over 11 drives in February, though these will eventually be erased by Mars' winds.
  • The rover recently discovered pure sulfur in the Gediz Vallis channel, a finding that scientists are still analyzing for its implications on Mars’ history.
  • Curiosity is now traveling toward boxwork formations at the base of Mount Sharp, where groundwater-deposited minerals may hold clues to ancient microbial life.
  • The rover’s slow speed, averaging 160 meters per hour, has allowed it to safely navigate Mars’ rugged terrain and cover 34.6 kilometers since 2012.