The Latest from Mars

On February 28, 2025, the HiRISE camera onboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter provided a stunning contrast-enhanced image of the Curiosity rover. In this photo, Curiosity is identified as a small black dot against the vibrant hues of the Martian landscape, trailing a significant path of tire tracks marking its route.

Details of the Image

• The image depicts the rover after completing a nearly 69-foot drive, with observable tracks stretching approximately 1,050 feet.
• According to Doug Ellison, Curiosity’s planning team chief at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), “By comparing the time HiRISE took the image to the rover’s commands for the day, we can see it was nearly done with a 69-foot drive.”
• The tracks are expected to remain visible in the Martian dust for up to several months before Martian winds eventually erase them.

Curiosity’s Journey Continues

Having been operational for over 4,466 Martian days—equivalent to approximately 12 Earth years—Curiosity is currently moving from the Gediz Vallis channel to a location thought to contain boxwork formations. These formations are geological structures believed to have been formed by ancient groundwater activity billions of years ago.

Scientists remain uncertain about the duration it will take the rover to reach its latest target, as the vehicle must navigate through uncharted terrain.