Mars rover ceased to leave traces on the surface of Mars

Mars rover ceased to leave traces on the surface of Mars

For the first time in 2015, the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) orbiter captured his friend Curiosity on the Martian landscape, but for some reason the rover did not leave traces on the surface of the Red Planet.

The MRO periodically looks after the Curiosity thanks to the ultra-powerful High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera when the orbiter is above its head. Such a system of "supervision" was made for the NASA Opportunity rover veteran. In both cases, such an orbital view helps determine the points of movement of the rover and determine the future safe route.

But as shown by the latest HiRISE observation, the rover has no traces of movement, which were clearly visible during previous orbital observations. The last orbital image of the Curiosity was taken about 4 months ago. "Unlike other regions where the rover left traces, on this terrain the underlying layer can have the same tone as the surface one, and therefore we do not see it," said Nathan Bridges, a scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California .

In the image of April 8, you can see Curiosity while working in the “Pahrump Hills” area at the base of the eolith, known as Mount Sharp, which is about 5.5 kilometers in height. The region has established itself as a storehouse of geological features, rich in sandstone, siltstone and calcium sulfate.

There is also a chance that the Martian wind could erase the traces of the Mars Rover, so scientists are interested in understanding how these high-resolution images help track the movement of sand around the Mars Rover.

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