NASA’s Curiosity rover, an autonomous vehicle from the United States’ space agency, has successfully reached Gediz Vallis Ridge, a geologically significant formation on Mars. This location is believed to hold clues about the ancient presence of substantial water reserves on the planet.
NASA’s Curiosity rover is on the hunt for fresh evidence related to life on the surface of Mars. Photo: AFP/TTXVN
According to NASA, Curiosity arrived at this site on August 14th after numerous efforts. Gediz Vallis Ridge, thought to be remnants of powerful flows of water and other materials, is the long-sought destination of the Curiosity rover’s scientific team.
Ashwin Vasavada, a scientist on the Curiosity rover project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California, shared, “After three years, we’ve finally found a location on Mars where Curiosity can safely approach a steep hillside. It’s exciting to be able to reach out and touch the rocks transported from high above on Mount Sharp.”
While scientists are still analyzing data and images from Gediz Vallis Ridge, the Curiosity rover has moved on to its next challenge: finding a path leading to channels on the upper slopes of the mountain. This will enable researchers to learn more about how and where water once flowed down Mount Sharp.
NASA notes that Mount Sharp, with its oldest layers at the bottom and youngest at the top, provides scientists with a “Mars timeline.” This timeline allows researchers to study how Mars transformed from a planet more Earth-like in its ancient past, with a moist climate and abundant water, to the cold desert it is today.
The Curiosity rover landed on the “Red Planet” on August 5, 2012. It is the largest and most sophisticated autonomous rover ever sent to Mars by NASA for exploration purposes.