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NASA Orbiter Captures First-Ever Image of Curiosity Rover in Motion on Mars

The HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped the historic shot as Curiosity travels toward boxwork formations, a key target in the search for signs of ancient groundwater and life.

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’s HiRISE camera captured the Curiosity rover actively driving on Mars for the first time on February 28, 2025, Sol 4,466 of the mission.
  • The image shows Curiosity leaving a 320-meter trail of wheel tracks across the Martian surface, a rare visual of its movement from orbit.
  • Curiosity is currently en route to boxwork formations at the base of Mount Sharp, which may hold evidence of ancient groundwater activity and potential microbial life.
  • The rover, powered by a 110-watt nuclear generator, moves deliberately at a slow pace to conserve energy and navigate Mars’ challenging terrain.
  • Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory carefully coordinate Curiosity’s path, while HiRISE captured the scene in black-and-white with a central strip of color.