Look at what two years on Mars has done to the Curiosity Rover (comparison images)

Below is a before and after look at various instruments and features on the curiosity rover and the wear they've endured during the rover's first two years, made from images uploaded by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

SOL 60/SOL 711



SOL 3/SOL 689



SOL 36/SOL 660



SOL 34/SOL 591



SOL 32/SOL 674



SOL 14/SOL 653



SOL 84/SOL 613




Well looks like our wee rover's wheels have seen better days, but all in all I think it has been holding up pretty well. You can see more comparison images with detailed information here

Never saw before and after pics of the weathering before. Now if only we could get such clear pictures of the various anomalies

This is amazing lets hope we send some one there to clean it off in the near future

Someone needs to set up Martian rover valet service, or a rover wash. Maybe the next generation of Rovers will have robot arm with a toolset that includes a scrubbing brush and sponge

It looks like the tires have taken quite a beating.

They will probably be the first things to go.

Overall though, that is one tough machine!

a reply to: Lady_Tuatha
Kool Comparison's!! I was going to say the same thing that it looks like it is doing pretty good!

The Johnny 5 is still alive!

2 years without human contact......I envy that rover.

Wow, great pictures.......Other than a little wheel damage, the craft is in good condition.

Just imagine leaving a car in the Mojave Desert , or any desert on Earth for 2 years without cover or protection.

I bet it would be in far worse condition than the Mars Rover.

Yes, some of the wheel damage was apparent some time ago, and dust was only to be expected, but I do suspect Mar's surface dryness in all aspects to be a problem at some stage.
Still though, there are bits and bobs of Earth on Mars in Curiosity and the others, I suppose that means bits and bobs of us.. Hmm, maybe we should send all our rubbish to Mars to help terraforming there.

When I posted a thread on the wind erosion and strength, many people told me that the atmosphere was not dense enough to pick up and move large pieces of sand - even when there were Martian sandstorms and dustdevils. However, NASA says the MERs have 'cleaning events' where they miraculously get cleaned by the wind and so they continue on this dirty/clean cycle and this is how they (opportunity) can continue to function without being weighed down with the dust.

As far as I can see, and my conclusion to all that has been said about the wind is that NASA and some on here who parrot them, want it both ways. They want the wind to blow forcefully when it suits them and when others point out there is no evidence for forceful winds (other than the 'dust devil video footage') theses same people argue for weak winds.

Go figure, 'cos I haven't.

I suspect there are some extra filters applied to some of these images to make them look redder or blue-er.

Am I the only one that went... WHY... a 1909 penny...

well... maybe I am weird...

but yes, the comparison is neat, that's a well made little guy.

a reply to: Irishhaf

How cool would it be to find that you are of relations to the person who minted the penny.

a reply to: Eyemin

that would actually be awesome in my opinion..

Unfortunately for me my Irish ancestors had not been in the country very long...

originally posted by: Irishhaf
Am I the only one that went... WHY... a 1909 penny...

well... maybe I am weird...

but yes, the comparison is neat, that's a well made little guy.

I didn't question the date as much as I questioned the penny itself. But then you got me thinking, so I looked up 1909 Historical events and found out the first Lincoln head penny was minted in August 2, 1909, and issued August 7, 1909. Source (Geez, the gubberment was sooo much more efficient back then, eh?)

So that's the significance of the 1909 date on the penny. But I'm still left with... Why the penny at all? So, your turn, lol...

I believe the penny was placed there to help calibrate the camera system of the rover.

Penny

The penny is a nod to geologists' tradition of placing a coin or other object of known scale as a size reference in close-up photographs of rocks, and it gives the public a familiar object for perceiving size easily when it will be viewed by MAHLI on Mars.

a reply to: new_here

my 2 cents worth

originally posted by: Pauligirl
Penny

The penny is a nod to geologists' tradition of placing a coin or other object of known scale as a size reference in close-up photographs of rocks, and it gives the public a familiar object for perceiving size easily when it will be viewed by MAHLI on Mars.

a reply to: new_here

my 2 cents worth

You are so cool! It makes perfect 'cents' now, thanks!

a reply to: Irishhaf

3000 Years from now, after we have destroyed ourselves, some organization, perhaps called Star Fleet, will dig up the Rover on Mars.

They will have to rewrite history to try and work out how someone called NASA managed to get the machine to Mars in 1909.

After much chin wagging (if they have chins) and finger waving (if the have fingers) will decide that the only way it could have been done would be to fire it out of a huge cannon.

The conspiracy nuts will say IT"S ALIENS.

P