Curiosity Rover Updates
These updates are provided by self-selected Mars Science Laboratory mission team members who love to share what Curiosity is doing with the public. Dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status.
Written by Sharon Wilson Purdy, Planetary Geologist at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Earth planning date: Monday, March 10, 2025 The Curiosity rover is winding between the spectacular Gould mesa and Texoli butte through beautifully layered terrain. The…
Written by Deborah Padgett, OPGS Task Lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Earth planning date: Friday, March 7, 2025 In Curiosity’s last plan, the team decided to drive toward a very interesting nodular rock. The rover team hoped to do…
Written by Susanne Schwenzer, Planetary Geologist at The Open University Earth planning date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 The Martian landscape never ceases to amaze me, there is so much variation in texture and color! As a mineralogist, I marvel at…
Written by Scott VanBommel, Planetary Scientist at Washington University Earth planning date: Monday, March 3, 2025 Curiosity continued steady progress through the upper sulfate unit and toward its next major science waypoint: the boxwork structures. Our rover is currently driving…
Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 Curiosity continues to climb roughly southward through the layered sulfate strata toward the “boxwork” features. Although the previous plan’s drive successfully…
Written by Susanne Schwenzer, Planetary Geologist at The Open University Earth planning date: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025 The fine detail of the image above reminds us once again that geoscience — on Mars and on Earth — is an observational…
Written by Lauren Edgar, Planetary Geologist at USGS Astrogeology Science Center Earth planning date: Monday, Feb. 24, 2025 Over the weekend Curiosity drove about 48 meters (about 157 feet) to the southwest, continuing to march along on our traverse past…
Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 Since first encountering the sulfate-bearing unit around Sol 3540, we have detected minerals and elemental concentrations consistent with the presence of various salts and a general drying out of Mars climate (read ”NASA’s…
Earth planning date: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 During today’s unusual-for-MSL Tuesday planning day (because of the U.S. holiday on Monday), we planned activities under new winter heating constraints. Operating Curiosity on Mars requires attention to a number of factors —…
Earth planning date: Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 Curiosity is continuing to make progress along the strategic route, traversing laterally across the sulfate (salt) bearing unit toward the boxwork structures. The team celebrated the completion of another successful drive when we…