Recent selfies taken by the interplanetary robot show its tyres being broken apart by the rough surface of the Red Planet, but the process isn’t expected to end its mission
Mars Rover selfies have uncovered extensive damage to the multi-billion-dollar robot’s tyres following well over a decade of wear-and-tear.
The Curiosity Rover, a $3.2 billion (£2.43 million) machine, was launched from the Earth in 2011, and landed on he Red Planet the following year, commencing what was meant to be a two-year mission. Now, nearly 15 years later, it remains functional despite its originally intended short lifespan, and it continues to explore the Gale Crater and Mount Sharp, fuelled by nuclear power.
Curiosity is reliably charged with nuclear power, and can conceivably last through 2026 and beyond. but the new pictures it has taken of itself show its wheels don’t have the same longevity.
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The pictures, taken on Sol 4844, or March 23, 2026, show Curiosity’s tracks wearing away, with the planet’s rough-hewn surface having punctured chunks in them.
The damage doesn’t quite equate to a flat tyre 33.9 million miles from home, however, as the car-sized rover has previously said it won’t prevent it from carrying out its duties. It had similar troubles back in July 2023, when it said on its social media account that its wheels “take the brunt” of Mars’ rocky terrain.
The rover’s minders wrote on social media at the time: “Mars is a rocky place, and my wheels take the brunt of it. But that doesn’t stop me from exploring!”
Experts have been keen to outline how durable the rover’s tyres are in their own social media posts following the latest images, with one planetary scientist revealing it could drive “perfectly fine” even if the damage almost completely took the tyres rim.
Posting on Bluesky, internationally renowned scientist Emily Lakdawalla said it could conduct its mission “even if the inner 2/3 of the wheel rim totally breaks off”. She wrote: “Fun fact: the rover would be able to drive perfectly fine even if the inner 2/3 of the wheel rim totally breaks off.
“There is enough toque in the wheel motors to pull the entire rover up a vertical wall if only one of them was operating. It could drive fine if the wheels were square.”
