NASA Curiosity Rover Status Report: Longest Drive Yet

September 26, 2012

On Sol 50 (Sept. 26), Curiosity completed its longest drive yet, rolling about 160 feet (48.9 meters) eastward toward the Glenelg area. The mission’s total distance driven has now reached one-quarter mile (416 meters). A priority in coming sols is to identify a location for first use of the rover’s capability to scoop up soil material and deliver a sample of it into laboratory instruments.

Activities on Sol 50 included pre-drive imaging of a target near the morning location and post-drive imaging of the new surroundings and the sky. A raw image from Curiosity’s left Navigation Camera, with tracks from the drive in view, is at http://1.usa.gov/SzZmHE.

Curiosity continues to work in good health. Sol 50, in Mars local mean solar time at Gale Crater, ends at 4:29 p.m. Sept. 25, PDT (7:29 p.m. EDT).