Curiosity Rover Beams Back Latest Selfie From Mars

Sumit Passary, Tech Times 26 February 2015, 07:02 am

The Mars Curiosity rover has beamed back its latest selfie at the Mojave site on Mount Sharp, where the vehicle is drilling the Martian surface and collecting samples.

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed that the self-portrait has been assembled from a number of images taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera on Curiosity's robotic arm.

"The scene combines dozens of images taken during January 2015 by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera at the end of the rover's robotic arm. The pale 'Pahrump Hills' outcrop surrounds the rover, and the upper portion of Mount Sharp is visible on the horizon. Darker ground at upper right and lower left holds ripples of wind-blown sand and dust," stated NASA.

The space agency also reported that the images that show the rover were snapped on Jan. 14, which was the 868th Martian day for the rover. Extra frames were taken on Jan. 29, while the frames that show the latest drill holes were taken on Jan. 31.

NASA launched the Curiosity rover in November 2011, which reached the Red Planet in August 2012. Since then, it has been transmitting vital information about the Martian surface to the Earth. The rover had also taken the opportunity to take some selfies and beam them back to Earth.

Curiosity transmitted its first selfie in October and November 2012 while working at a site called Rocknest Wind Drift.

From Feb. 3, 2013 to May 10, 2013, the rover worked on a site called John Klein. The rover's camera also took a number of pictures, and NASA scientists put them together to show how the rover looked in its surroundings.

In April and May 2014, while working on a sandstone target called Windjana, the rover clicked and beamed a few more of its selfies.

NASA is focusing quite a lot on the Martian surface, and the Curiosity rover has also been successful in sending back important information about the planet. In December 2012, the Curiosity mission was extended indefinitely, which means that the rover will continue to send more selfies in the coming years.