NASA Captures Amazing Photo Of Curiosity Rover On Mars Mountain

NASA’s orbiting satellite was able to capture an amazing image of the Curiosity rover as it explored Mars’ surface. The rover was seen from space as it went around the Martian area known as Woodland Bay.

Images of Curiosity were captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, an onboard equipment of NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

The MRO was designed to observe Mars from its orbit. Thanks to its powerful HiRISE camera, which is able to take photos with resolutions of 0.3m/pixels, the MRO is able to take detailed images of the Martian surface from an orbital altitude of 300 to 400 kilometers.

In its latest batch of images, the MRO was able to take a photo of its land-based counterpart, the Curiosity rover. Despite being taken from several hundred kilometers away, the photo taken by MRO is so clear and detailed that Curiosity’s mast or head can be seen in the image. Other components such as the rover’s wheels can be seen in the photo.

According to NASA, the MRO spotted Curiosity in an area known as Woodland Bay. This region is part of a clay-bearing unit located on the side of Mars’ Mt. Sharp, which is a 5-kilometer tall mountain inside the Gale Crater.

The MRO was officially launched on Aug. 12, 2005 through the Atlas V-401 rocket. It was able to approach Mars and began orbital insertion on March 10, 2006.

Originally, the MRO’s primary mission was only supposed to last for two years. However, since the MRO has functioned as one of NASA’s most reliable and efficient orbiters, the space agency has decided to extend its mission. It is expected to continue providing data to NASA until 2030 or once its propellant runs out.

As for the Curiosity rover, it was launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov. 26, 2011 as a payload for the Atlas V 541 rocket. It landed on Mars on Aug. 6, 2012.

Like the MRO, Curiosity was only supposed to stay on Mats for two years but NASA decided to extend its mission. The rover’s main assignment is to investigate the environmental conditions of the Red Planet in preparation for NASA’s upcoming missions.