Curiosity Rover Turns 13

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Video imagery:

·       Curiosity’s selfie at Mont Mercou: NASA/JPL-Caltech

·       Curiosity mosaic image of Gediz Vallis: NASA/JPL-Caltech

·       Curiosity image of mineral deposit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

·       Curiosity’s selfie with Mount Sharp: NASA/JPL-Caltech

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Photos of deep space nebulae, galaxies, stars, and planets. Text: News from the Universe. 

 

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August 22, 2025. Curiosity Rover Turns 13. The Curiosity Rover stands on the dark reddish brown surface of Mars. The terrain alternates between smooth and rocky, with mountains in the distance. The sky is a hazy red. Text: After 13 years on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover is still upping its game. Like parents granting a teenager more independence and responsibility, engineers have developed ways for the rover to multitask and work more autonomously, saving battery power. 

 

Curiosity's increased efficiency will boost its ability to investigate how Mars went from a world of lakes and rivers to the chilly desert it is today, and if it ever supported life. Gediz Vallis, Mars, November 7, 2022. The Gediz Vallis is a valley with sandy reddish brown soil and rocky outcroppings on the sides. A rock formation has a bulbous shape. Text: Evidence of Mars' past is seen in rock formations like this - minerals deposited by ancient water flows and then sandblasted by wind for billions of years. Curiosity's increased efficiency now allows it to transmit images like this back to Earth while simultaneously heading to its next destination and discovery. A black and white photo of Curiosity standing at the edge of a Martian plain. Its tracks are visible behind it. Text: This news was brought to you in part by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. 

 

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