Revealing NASA's Curiousity : The Latest from Mars Rover

Although no human has ever been on the surface of the planet Mars, multiple roaming vehicles or rovers have explored the surface of the planet. The first Mars Exploration Rovers were launched in 2003 as a part of NASA's exploration of the red planet. The current rover exploring Mars is the Curiosity and it has some interesting findings.

Curiosity's Mission

The rover is best understood as an all-terrain vehicle. Since scientists have no way to repair any damage made to the rover once it leaves the earth, it's designed to withstand rough terrain. However, NASA scientists are finding that the car-sized rover currently exploring Mars has started to show its age. Curiosity has been on the planet for almost five years now and a recent view of the rover has shown breaks on the tire's treads.

NASA has stated that the damage won't keep the rover from completing its mission. In fact, they say that knowing this information is giving the agency important information on how to design future rovers. The next vehicle is slated for launch in 2020 and is already in the design stage. Currently, the mission team at NASA is monitoring the Curiosity's wheels which are made from aluminum and measure 16 inches wide. What's surprising to the team is that although the driving conditions on Mars are less than ideal, the extensive damage has occurred after only driving 9.9 miles. Scientists estimate that the rover will be able to make the final 3.7 mile journey to its final destination without any problems.

Changing Designs

Understanding the wear and tear on the rovers provides NASA with valuable information on the surface of the planet. They're also using this information to design the new rover with curved grousers which should withstand the planet better.

Curiosity's primary mission has been to determine if Mars ever had the capability to sustain microbial life and its mission was completed in the first year when it found evidence that the red planet once had water and the chemical compounds needed for life. However, it continued to explore in the mission to understand how a planet that once sustained life became harsh and dry.

In the final months of the rover, Curiosity keeps people updated on its progress with its own Twitter account which regularly uploads photos and videos. While the Curiosity wasn't the first or the last rover to explore Mars, it has been the most interesting one to watch with valuable finds and a fascinating journey.