Since the Mars Curiosity Rover has arrived on the Red Planet, the robotic machine has been exploring. The Perseverance will join it.
The Rover has been stationed in its current location for some months at a site that might have ancient materials present there. Depicted in the selfie, the robotic machine is the probe that is all covered in Martian dust. It is beginning to blend into the Martian landscape, reported Gizmondo.
It arrived in 2012; the Mars probe has been exposed and weathered by the planet's elements from day one. If a wash is needed to clean up the wheeled Rover, a flight to Earth and Back will take 82 million kilometers. That's a long way to go, but it seems the rust-red dust needs to be washed.
The robotic probe is the only representative of Earth, but it will not be alone when Perseverance and other probes come. Plans are in the works to send the first humans to Mars; they might have a chance to find Curiosity eventually. Perhaps they may take it back to Earth on the return trip.
Sources say stitching the mosaic image is composed of 59 photos taken last October 25, 2020, said NASA in a statement. The ones responsible for the creation of the image worked for NASA. The device used to capture the image is the probe's Mars Hand Lens Camera (MAHLI).
Miles over the alien world is already evident on the probe's wheels. Look at the wheel in the middle of the right side; that shows wear-and-tear too. Improved wheel designs will be used on the Perseverance that is also more durable too.
Also read: Perseverance Rover on Mars Will Deploy a Host of Technologies for Future Robotic Explorers
One of the sites is Mary Anning, where the wheeled machine is hard at work 24/7, drilling, and analyzing all the surface samples obtained. The site is named after a 19th-century English paleontologist by NASA.
A search is on for clues into Mar's prehistory that stretches way back into the past-looking for evidence that life once existed in its environment. Collecting mechanism and analyzing devices are looking for organic, carbon-based molecules as signs that life was on mars once.
The mission is crucial to get the information used by astronauts who will be on Mars one day. Going to the red planet blind is not an option; probes will find out what waits for humans.
It only arrived in the Mary Anning worksite in July; three holes were drilled. These sites are called Mary Anning, Mary Anning 3, and Groken. One of its tools, the built-in lab, called CheMin would be used to analyze the sample. The engineers provided Curiosity with the tools to do everything needed to analyze the sample. All the data from the analysis will be sent back to the homeworld. It will take time to explore the samples.
Next, on its list of sites to go to will be sulfate-rich rocks that are located at a higher elevation along with Mount Sharp. The estimated time of arrival is next year.
Soon to arrive on Mars is NASA's Perseverance rover with improved wheels to join Curiosity Rover 100 days away. The new Rover will arrive at the Jezero Crater on February 18.
Related article: Curiosity Rover Finds Possible Proof of Life in Mars
