Curiosity Views Its Tracks Using Its Navcam

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover left several sets of tracks where the rover experienced a fault, or unexpected stoppage mid-drive, while climbing a particularly difficult slope. The bright rock seen directly above the rover’s wheel is what caused the rover to fault. Tracks can be seen above the wheel at right, indicating where Curiosity backed up and repositioned to try again.

The rover’s navigation cameras captured this panorama on June 8, 2023, the 3,853rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

Curiosity was built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more about Curiosity, visit: https://mars.nasa.gov/msl