Thumpety thump thump, thumpety thump thump - look at us go! 😉
Have a wonderful holiday season, Earthlings!
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Click to Follow MarsCuriosity
Curiosity Rover
@MarsCuriosity
Your friendly neighborhood NASA Mars rover. Exploring the Red Planet since 2012. Team headquartered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory 
Curiosity Rover’s Tweets
🎶 Starships were meant to fly 🎶
Go #Artemis! You're paving a path forward in our shared mission of space exploration.
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I have arrived! 🎉
After a trek through a sand-lined pass, I’m finally in a part of Mount Sharp enriched with salty minerals. I've already gotten a taste of this salty area, which scientists on my team believe may have formed as Mars' climate dried out. go.nasa.gov/3TRuPXd
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I'm really digging deep with some self-reflection on #InternationalPodcastDay.
Listen along and get the inside scoop on the many discoveries and dramas (!) of my mission.
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🚨 Correct answers:
Distance driven = C, 18 mi (29 km)
Samples analyzed = B, 41 samples
Total climb = 2050 ft (625 m)
Thanks for playing along! Check out all of my stats at go.nasa.gov/3d7TwOS
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I landed in Gale Crater, and I’ve been exploring the foothills of Mount Sharp within it. It’s been a journey.
How far up have I climbed Mount Sharp?
- 230 feet (70 meters)24.4%
- 1,500 feet (457 meters)34.4%
- 2,050 feet (625 meters)27.8%
- 2,900 feet (884 meters)13.4%
4,746 votesFinal results
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Part of my mission is to study Martian rock and soil samples to form a deeper understanding of Mars’ ancient past.
How many have I analyzed?
- 1310.2%
- 4128.5%
- 5332.9%
- 9528.3%
4,931 votesFinal results
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Pop-Landiversary Quiz! 🎉
I’ve hit quite a few milestones in this decade. Let's see who's been paying attention:
How many miles have I trekked on Mars?
- 5 miles (8 km)5.3%
- 12 miles (19 km)13.4%
- 18 miles (29 km)39.7%
- 30 miles (48 km)41.6%
7,086 votesFinal results
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Happy “landiversery" ! For 10 years, Curiosity has worked to reveal the potentially habitable climate of ancient Mars.
To celebrate, we’re breaking down 5 of the most significant discoveries made using the rover’s suite of #astrobiology instruments. A thread 🧵:
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From one space explorer to another 👩🚀
Thank you, , for this amazing message - and for your help on my team! As you said, we accomplish the impossible on a daily (or in my case sol-y) basis, and I’m so excited to keep exploring this planet in the name of science.
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When I landed on Mars 10 years ago, I aimed to answer an important question: Could Mars have supported ancient life? After some careful analysis, the scientists on my team say yes! So, what does that mean? Hear more about that from my Deputy Project Scientist Abigail Fraeman.
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Happy 10-year landiversary to me!
It’s been a decade of discoveries. I’ve explored Gale Crater and Mount Sharp, analyzed rock samples, and studied the Martian clouds and sky. In the years ahead, I’ll study a region rich in salty minerals called sulfates.
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A celebration for little ‘ol me? 😊
I’ve done a lot of exploring these last 10 years on Mars, and members of my team have helped me every step of the way. So join us for a Twitter Spaces event as they reflect on this decade of discoveries.
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My team is talking about my almost 10 YEARS on Mars!
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I’ve been on Mars for almost a decade? Time flies when you’re having fun on another planet! To mark this upcoming milestone, join a live chat with some of my teammates on July 21 at 7pm PT (10pm ET) who will talk about my past and future for this mission.
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In 2014, I placed rock samples in my SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) instrument to measure the chemical compounds. After years of careful analysis from my team, they measured the total organic carbon in those Martian rocks for the first time.
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Pretty ain’t it?
I’m trekking through a transition zone between a clay-rich area and one filled with sulfate. Groundwater ebbed and flowed over time through these geologic features, leaving a puzzle my team and I can’t wait to solve. go.nasa.gov/3nfg7ut
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Fingerling…rocks? I spotted these odd shapes while I was exploring. They likely formed billions of years ago when groundwater moved through, leaving minerals behind. In the Martian atmosphere, winds eroded the softer parts and left the harder bits behind. go.nasa.gov/3xy9Gr9
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In a less literal sense, my science team is interested in these rocks as a “door” to the ancient past. As I climb up this mountain, I’m seeing higher levels of clay give way to salty minerals called sulfates – clues as to how water dried up on Mars billions of years ago.
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Here’s a zoomed-out view with the feature circled. ⭕ In it, you see a small crevice (>30 cm tall) between 2 fractures in a rock. There are several linear fractures in the mound - but in this spot, several fractures intersect, which allowed the rock to break at such sharp angles.
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Some of you have noticed this image I took on Mars. Sure, it may look like a tiny door, but really, it’s a natural geologic feature! It may just *look* like a door because your mind is trying to make sense of the unknown. (This is called "pareidolia") go.nasa.gov/3sGhC8l
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Mars has been my home for nearly a decade. Excited to explore this fascinating planet for (at least) another three years! 🎉
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A podcast about little ol’ me? 😊
The latest episode of the “On A Mission” #podcast focuses on yours truly. So put on your favorite headphones and learn about the discoveries me and my team have made, the challenges we’ve faced, and what’s next for me.
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I've gotta protect my wheels 🛞
After spotting some “gator-back” rocks, I’ll be taking an alternate path as I continue to explore Mount Sharp. The wind-sharpened stones could cause serious damage to my wheels so it’s best to avoid them. go.nasa.gov/3jeh2JJ
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Did it get dark in here? Oh, that’s just the dust cloud I caught with my Hazcam. While this isn’t the first dusty gust I’ve captured, its size and proximity made for a dense shadow.
[📷 from sol 3418]
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I’m exploring a new spot on Mount Sharp - and I even found some cool concretions. See what I (and my sol sister ) have been up to on Mars.
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🎶 Who runs the (red) world? Girls! 🎶 Today is #InternationalWomensDay, so I’m giving a special shoutout to the women on my team. You rock my world… literally!
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I spy with my hand-held imager (MAHLI) this beautiful, fragile and tiny feature. It’s a concretion, eroded from sedimentary rock that was cemented by mineral-rich groundwater. Size? Just 1 cm. go.nasa.gov/35ECww0
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☁️ Just clouds drifting through the Martian sky. These wisps were ~50 miles (80 km) above me & the height suggests they’re made of carbon dioxide ice. These digitally-enhanced images from one of my navigation cameras were put together into 8-frame GIFs. go.nasa.gov/3rTftG8
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To: My Galentine
Thanks for joining me in trailblazing new paths for understanding our universe. Exploring uncharted territory is a bit easier knowing a friend shares the same world.
#GalentinesDay
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Earlier in my mission, I checked my wheels every 500 meters. They're holding up well enough that my team now only has me check them every 1,000 meters. Their lifespan and odometry remaining is expected to support me through the remainder of my mission on the Red Planet.✨
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My team has provided me with upgrades like my traction control algorithm, which are extending the life of my wheels:
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The Martian surface can be rocky, sharp, and unforgiving – so after nearly 10 years, my wheels have taken a beating. The good news is that this is not impacting my mission.
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Is there a competition for rock mining and sand scooping in the #WinterOlympics? Could one participate remotely? (If so, I may have a shot!) I hold the record for most number of drill samples collected on another planet – 34 – plus six scoops of sand. That's 40 samples analyzed!
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🧐Curiouser & curiouser! I found samples with unusual carbon isotopes, which are key in understanding the evolution of planets. On Earth, this is linked to life but it may still be created by geology. What does it mean on Mars? Ah, that’s the great puzzle! go.nasa.gov/3tDXHZ8
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New year, new view. I made it to a mapping quadrant called Roraima. It’s named after the northern-most state of Brazil and Mount Roraima. The terrain in the Roraima region on Earth is similar to this area on Mars – flat-topped hills and some steep slopes. go.nasa.gov/3HAdjQZ
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You are so beautiful to me 🎶
I’m getting ready to rove through “Maria Gordon Notch” in the coming sols. I’m traveling to the edge of the valley so I can study the composition of that tall cliff you can see to my right. go.nasa.gov/31BeaBA
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Not only has inspired humans, she’s inspired robots like me to boldly go where no robot has gone before 🖖
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