Planets and Moons  ID: 11442

Navigating Mars

Story by Kayvon Sharghi Released on January 16, 2014
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Take an aerial tour of Curiosity's journey across the Red Planet.
Getting around Mars isn’t easy. But since Curiosity landed on the planet on August 5, 2012, the six-wheeled rover has driven more than two miles over some rocky terrain. Its tracks are now pointing southwest toward the entrance to a mountain called Mount Sharp. The mountain rises 18,000 feet above the northern floor of an ancient crater that formed some 3 billion years ago. Sediment deposits trapped within the mountain’s rock layers may hold clues to what Mars’s environment was like in the past and how it changed over time. Watch the video for a guided tour of Curiosity’s path to Mount Sharp.
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Learn more about Curiosity's trek across Mars in this video.
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After landing on Mars, Curiosity took a side trip to Yellowknife Bay. The rover is now driving toward its main destination, Mount Sharp.
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Curiosity arrived at Yellowknife Bay in December 2012. Samples were collected and analyzed from a rock outcrop (yellow) found at this location.
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A patch of flat-topped hills (yellow) make up an area of Mars called Murray Buttes, which Curiosity will explore in 2014.
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To reach Mount Sharp, Curiosity will take a winding route (yellow) through Murray Buttes.

Story Credits

Lead Writer:
Kayvon Sharghi (USRA)

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Cover image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Andrew Bodrov
Video courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/MSSS/ESA/DLR/FU Berlin

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11442

Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Planets and Moons