Curiosity rover mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, are starting to worry about their rover, as the red planet's rough surface has caused cracks in its wheels.
The robot is headed towards its main destination, 5-kilometer-high Mount Sharp. Unfortunately, the road is full of jagged rocks, which are causing major damage to the rover's aluminum wheels.
The damage is compounded by the fact that Curiosity weighs almost 1 ton, and is about the size of a Mini Cooper. After analyzing new photos taken by the rover from its wheels, experts believe a new navigation solution will need to be developed to ensure the mission is completed successfully, as reported by Universe Today.
The first holes in Curiosity's aluminum wheels were noticed in the fall of 2013. Since then, JPL scientists who have been checking for new signs have concluded that the damage is increasing with each passing month.
The damage to the left front wheel is particularly worrying for scientists, since a crack has been created that is 5 to 8 cm long. However, researchers have already thought of a solution to avoid further damage. The first idea is to look for a smoother route for the rover to travel towards Mount Sharp, through sand dunes that do not contain sharp stones.
