NASA’s Curiosity rover has been exploring Mars for exactly 3000 (Mars) days (“Sol” ) and the end of the successful mission is not in sight. While his successor, Perseverance, is already approaching the red planet, Curiosity continues to climb the Aeolis Mons mountain in the center of the Gale crater and searches for traces of former life.

The rover has now almost 19 kilometers covered – on Mars only Opportunity got further. Curiosity was on 26. November 2011 was sent to Mars and there after a risky landing approach on August 5th 2012 arrived.

Search for traces of life As the responsible team of scientists explains, Curiosity has just completed another investigation of the underground. He slipped slightly once, whereupon the rover stopped its activities and waited for new instructions. At his 3000. On the day on Mars, the rover will take various measurements, for example, to determine the amount of dust in the atmosphere. In the afternoon he should set off again to reach easier terrain and continue up the mountainside.

Aeolis Mons consists of sediments that are in different epochs of Martian history. This also includes areas made of clay that was formed ages ago by liquid water and which today point to more life-friendly epochs in the history of Mars. Also because Curiosity has at least found indications that there could have been life on the planet back then, the mission has long been considered a complete success. Originally it was only intended for two years, but the rover has now been rolling over the red planet for more than eight years and has also become an ambassador for research at NASA.

Details from Curiosity’s 2nd gigapixel panorama (13 Pictures) A crater in the crater

(Image: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS) Crowd on Mars In addition to Curiosity, NASA’s Insight probe is currently active on Mars, which has been researching there since 758 Martian days. In the orbit of the Red Planet have also been orbiting for more than 19 years the Odyssey probe, for almost 13 years of Mars reconnaissance Orbiter MRO and Maven for 6 years. Curiosity’s successor Perseverance is slated to land on Mars in February. In addition to NASA, ESA also operates two Mars probes, Mars Express (since 17 years) and the Trace Gas Orbiter (for four years). The Mars Orbiter Mission of the Indian space agency ISRO has been orbiting Mars for seven years and currently a probe from the United Arab Emirates and one from China are on their way to Mars.

(mho)