NASA’s Curiosity Takes New Selfie After Setting Record On Mars

KEY POINTS

The Curiosity rover reached the steepest slope it has ever climbed
The rover took a bedrock sample from Mount Sharp on Mars
The took a new selfie after climbing the slope

NASA’s Curiosity rover was able to set a new record during its Mars mission by being able to climb the steepest slope it has ever reached. After completing its record-setting accomplishment, the NASA rover took a new selfie with its special camera.

NASA’s current rover on Mars has been exploring the Red Planet since 2012. Its main objective is to study the features of the Gale crater, which is believed to have been the site of a lake on Mars.

Since 2014, Curiosity has been navigating through Mount Sharp, which is a 5-mile-tall mountain sitting at the center of the Gale crater. Earlier this month, the rover traversed the steepest hill it has encountered on the mountain. According to NASA, the slope tilted the rover by about 31 degrees.

“Curiosity finally reached the top of the slope March 6 (the 2,696th Martian day, or sol, of the mission),” NASA said in a statement. “It took three drives to scale the hill, the second of which tilted the rover 31 degrees — the most the rover has ever tilted on Mars and just shy of the now-inactive Opportunity rover's 32-degree tilt record, set in 2016.”

After reaching its target, it drilled a hole on the Martian surface to reach a bedrock labeled as Hutton. As noted by NASA, the rover retrieved a sample from the bedrock. This sample will be analyzed to check for traces of water in the area.

After completing its objective, Curiosity took a photo of itself using its Mars Hand Lens Camera (MAHLI), which is installed at the end of its robotic arm. The rover mainly uses MAHLI to take close-up images of sand grains and rocks.

Aside from scientific purposes, the rover can also take selfies using the MAHLI. This is done by rotating the camera into multiple positions in order to take multiple photos of Curiosity and its surroundings. These images are then stitched together to create one complete photo.

“By rotating the turret to face the rover, the team can use MAHLI to show Curiosity,” NASA explained. “Because each MAHLI image covers only a small area, it requires many images and arm positions to fully capture the rover and its surroundings.”