Mars rover Curiosity takes first test drive, sees tracks

(SPACE.com) NASA's Mars rover Curiosity took its first halting steps on the Red Planet today (Aug. 22), snapping photos of its tracks to commemorate the test drive milestone.

The 1-ton Curiosity rover was slated to move about 10 feet (3 meters) forward, turn to the right 90 degrees and then back up several feet, mission managers said yesterday. And based on pictures that came down from the six-wheeled robot today, that brief maneuver -- or something like it -- appears to have happened.

The black-and-white photos, taken by Curiosity's navigation cameras, clearly show its tracks on the Martian surface.

A spokesman at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which manages Curiosity's mission, declined to discuss the drive, explaining that the rover team would elaborate during a press conference today at 2:30 p.m. EDT (1830 GMT). [More photos of Curiosity's 1st drive on Mars]

Curiosity touched down inside Mars' huge Gale Crater on the night of Aug. 5. Its two-year mission, officially known as the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), aims to determine if the Red Planet could ever have supported microbial life.

Since Curiosity hit the red dirt, the MSL team has been systematically vetting the $2.5 billion rover and its 10 science instruments, making sure everything is in good working condition for surface operations. Today's short drive -- and a Monday (Aug. 20) test of Curiosity's steering abilities -- are part of this checkout process.

Everything has gone well so far, team members have said, though Curiosity's weather station is not working perfectly. Wind sensors on one of the instrument's two booms have been damaged, perhaps by rocks deposited on Curiosity's deck during or shortly after landing.

But the other boom's sensors are working fine, so the impact should be limited to some slight ambiguity regarding wind direction, researchers have said.

If everything continues to check out, Curiosity could head toward its first major science target -- a spot 1,300 feet (400 m) away called Glenelg -- as early as this weekend, mission managers have said. Three different types of terrain come together at Glenelg, making it a one-stop shop for lots of science investigations.

But Curiosity's ultimate destination is the base of Mount Sharp, the 3.4-mile-high (5.5-kilometer) mountain rising from the center of Gale Crater. Mars-orbiting spacecraft have spotted evidence of clays and sulfates in Mount Sharp's foothills, suggesting the area was exposed to liquid water long ago.

While Curiosity is getting ready to roll, it won't exactly speed through its Martian environs. The rover will likely spend a month or more journeying to Glenelg, researchers have said, and then remain there for a while, studying the site's rocks and soil.

Curiosity may be ready to turn its wheels toward the interesting deposits in Mount Sharp's foothills, which are about 5 miles (8 km) away as the crow flies, toward the end of the year, scientists have said.

Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+.

• 1st Photos of Mars by Curiosity Rover (Gallery)
• Mars Rover Curiosity: Mars Science Lab Coverage
• Curiosity's Mars Roadtrip About To Begin | Video

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[JohnStockton77]

I heard several times that we know much more about Mars then we do our oceans, and yet fish and stuff from the oceans turn out to be amazing cures for diseases and stuff like that. It so STUPID to spend this money on Mars which does us no pratical good in the near future. I feel so sory for those NASA scentists who have sent 10 years of their lives on this rover project just to collect information that realy has no pratical benefit to us

[fredm6900]

They seem kids playing with a new toy; a very expensive toy. Before spending that money to explore Mars, they should spend that money to explore and fix things here on Earth where we live.

[amazedd]

I couldn't agree more; if only the Wright brothers had spent their time down at the shop fixing bicycles, as they should, we'd probably all be wearing burkas by now. Damn progress and civilization, bywords for debauchery!

[jmeert]

I agree, we should not spend a dime on increasing our knowledge of the universe, our place in the universe, the past and future of our solar system or anything with any educational 'value'. It's far better to avoid developing new technology especially since nothing ever came of those Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Shuttle missions. I mean c'mon if people were meant to explore space, we'd have been born with teleportation abilities.

[you_MAY_be_right]

Just so as I understand this.

This "Mars Rover" cost USA taxpayors $2.5 Billion, it landed on Mars on 08/05/2012, shot its laser on 08/20/2012, and finally moves about a total of 13 feet on 08/22/2012. And the engineers and scientists at NASA are elated and proud?

We could have used that money for something else like The NEA I guess.

We have a war we are funding, greated than 8% unemployment, people being foreclosed on and being made homeless and the government is happy that the Mars Rover Curosity moved 13 feet and made a right-hand turn. Sure hope it used its blinkers.