NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover attempts its most challenging climb yet at a location nicknamed ‘Jau’, which is dented with impact craters. This is just one step on the rover’s journey to Mount Sharp, a 3-mile-tall mountain on the Red Planet that was once covered with lakes, rivers and streams billions of years ago.
The rover has spent the past few months navigating some risky terrain, but this slope with a 23-degree incline, slippery sand and wheel-sized rocks, will be its toughest climb yet. However, it will stop moving if any surprises are encountered such as the wheel slipping too much or having one raised too high by a large rock. If the latter occurs, a detour will need to be planned by the JPL team.
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We were basically playing fault bingo. Each day when we came in, we’d find out we faulted for one reason or another. It felt great to finally get over the ridge and see that amazing vista. I get to look at images of Mars all day long, so I really get a sense of the landscape. I often feel like I’m standing right there next to Curiosity, looking back at how far it has climbed,” said Dane Schoelen, Curiosity’s strategic route planning lead at JPL.
