Overview

• Curiosity now performs driving, data relay to orbiters and robotic arm operations simultaneously under new autonomy protocols.
• An autonomous napping mode lets the rover power down early when tasks finish ahead of schedule, conserving energy for future activities.
• Engineers have deployed software fixes for wheel wear, a drill rework and a camera filter workaround to counter mechanical degradation.
• The rover is actively studying boxwork ridges on Mount Sharp, which formed from ancient groundwater and could reveal former subsurface microbial habitats.
• These upgrades optimize output from the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator, extending Curiosity’s mission into a 13th year of scientific exploration.