NASA took an orbital photo of the Curiosity rover’s path

The Curiosity rover does not slow down the pace of Mars research, even despite its maximum speed of only 0.16 kilometers per hour. Recently, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed a trace left by the rover on the planet’s surface, Engadget reports.

The trail stretches from the previous scientific object — the Gediz Vallis channel — to the new research area. In the picture, Curiosity looks like a small bright spot at the beginning of the approximately 320-meter path. According to NASA, this is the first image taken from orbit that shows the rover as it moves around the Red Planet.

The photo was obtained on February 28 with the help of the HiRISE (High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera. The image shows traces left by 11 trips made by Curiosity since the beginning of the month. On Earth, such traces would quickly disappear, but on Mars they can persist for several months before being erased by the wind.

In the near future, Curiosity should reach a new research point — an area where there are formations presumably formed as a result of ancient underground water activity.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has released a new photo taken by the Curiosity rover, which continues its work on Mars.

According to NASA, the Curiosity rover has begun to approach a mountain formation that scientists have named “Mont Mercou” — after a mountain in France. This hill, about 6 meters high, is depicted in a new “selfie” from Curiosity, as well as in a pair of panoramas that offer a three-dimensional view.

The selfie against the background of Mont Mercou in full resolution is available at link. High-quality panorama, composed of 32 individual images, 360-degree panorama of 126 images. Both panoramas were taken on March 4, 2021.