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When a tire on your vehicle goes flat, your options are typically to either change it yourself or seek help from someone else. However, Mars rovers face a unique challenge, as neither of these options is available to them.
Fortunately, the wheels on NASA’s robotic vehicles are engineered to be highly durable, allowing them to continue operating even after sustaining significant damage.
Recently, a picture transmitted back to Earth from NASA’s reliable Curiosity rover revealed considerable wear on its middle right wheel, yet the vehicle continues to navigate the rocky Martian landscape with relative ease.
In a lighthearted update shared through Curiosity’s social media account, it assured followers, “These big wheels keep on turning. Recent images of my wheels seem to have caused some concern, but I want to reassure you, we’re doing just fine! The photos assist my team in monitoring wear and tear. If necessary, I could lose part of a wheel and still keep moving forward.”
These big wheels keep on turning. 🛞
Recent photos of my wheels got some of you worried, but I’m here to reassure you, we’re just fine! The images help my team keep tabs on wear and tear. If it came down to it, I could shed part of them off and keep on rolling. pic.twitter.com/h1oKLB3oW7
— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) October 4, 2024
The wheels measure 50 centimeters in diameter and 40 centimeters in width, crafted from a single piece of aluminum. They feature grousers (tread patterns) that extend 7.5 millimeters from their surface. Since its landing in Gale Crater on Mars 12 years ago, Curiosity has covered approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) over the challenging Martian terrain.
It’s not entirely unexpected that Curiosity’s wheels show signs of wear; they began developing holes as early as 2013, just a year after the rover’s arrival on the red planet.
A remote operator for Curiosity mentioned in 2014 that when the team first analyzed images of the wheels, they were surprised to discover a hole much larger than anticipated. “This did not match anything we encountered in our tests. We were uncertain about the cause and its potential to worsen,” they noted.
As part of an effort to mitigate damage, the Curiosity team has worked to chart courses that avoid particularly hazardous terrain. Additionally, in 2017, they uploaded a revised algorithm to help regulate the velocity of each wheel, reducing the stress on the rover’s wheels when navigating over rocky surfaces.
While damage to its wheels has certainly hindered Curiosity’s speed and limited some of its routes, the NASA team continues to make significant progress with the resilient rover.
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