Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3878, July 4, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Wheeling and dealing with Mars – not an easy assignment.

Remington Free, Operations Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, notes in a recent report use of the robot’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) to inspect its wheels.

Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photo produced on Sol 3878, July 4, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

“This is an engineering activity we perform at a regular cadence in order to assess the state of our wheels,” Free explains. “This is crucial for us given the wear and tear we experience from drives due to the sharp rocks and bumpy terrain.

Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) photo produced on Sol 3878, July 4, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

“Full MAHLI wheel imaging (FMWI) is accomplished during a drive by rotating the wheels by a fixed amount for each imaging position so we can get a good look at the entire wheel state,” Free adds.

Here are a few images from the recent inspect of Curiosity’s wheels…some doing fine, others showing a beating.

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3878, July 4, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3878, July 4, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3878, July 4, 2023.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech