new selfie of the “battered” Curiosity rover

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released a stunning self-portrait of the Curiosity rover as it continues its exploration of Mars.

This selfie was created by combining 57 individual photos taken on October 25 this year. Filming was done using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a camera on a special robotic arm.

The image shows that the rover’s wheels are heavily “beaten” by Martian rocks and the structural elements are covered with a layer of dust. However, the apparatus continues to successfully carry out the scientific program.

The rover is now in an area called Mary Anning, named after the British explorer who collected the fossils. The image above shows several Curiosity holes made to collect rocks.

Recall that the Curiosity apparatus went to the Red Planet on November 26, 2011 and a soft landing was made on August 6, 2012. In eight years of operation, the rover has transmitted to Earth a mass of photographs and scientific data, meaning of which cannot be overstated.