Curiosity rover travels Red Planet for more than 4,5 years. To this day it passed more than 16 kilometers and now is climbing 4,5 kilometers high Sharp Mountain.
While it keeps going, growing number of technical issues suggest rover approaching mid-life crisis. Its wind sensors do not work anymore. Its main geological instrument, high speed drill is damaged too. But the most serious problem - its wheels deteriorating condition. Unfortunately, rover cannot call mechanic on Mars.
Image: NASA/JPL (Selfie mosaic, composed of more than 30 images)
Curiosity has six aluminium wheels, 50 centimeters in diameter. During its first year on Mars, first fissures on the front pair of wheels were observed. To avoid further damage, engineers now more thoroughly evaluate terrain and plan next movements. The most rocky areas rover goes back up.
Images, taken on March 19, shows new damage: one of the zig-zag treads, or grousers, on Curiosity’s left middle wheel has broken (arrow)
Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS
Ground tests on identical wheels suggest that when three grousers on a single wheel have broken, that wheel has reached 60% of its useful life.
New images also show that the middle pair of wheels damaged too.
Image: NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS
While the rover can drive, scientists want it to drive another six kilometers to the transition to the sulphate unit, the farthest uphill destination.
But even rover will stop, it will be used as staionary station. Unlike Spirit rover, which stuck in the sand in 2009 and got its solar batteries shadowed, Curiusity equipped with radioisotope thermoelectric generator.
Meanwhile, JPL prepares Curiosity twin brother to 2020 expedition. Taking the lessons of Curiosity, new rover's wheels are more durable and modified in shape.
Image: NASA