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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Curiosity route map: Wide view: comparing "rapid transit" and "safe transit" routes

Curiosity route map: Wide view: comparing "rapid transit" and "safe transit" routes
Curiosity route map: Wide view: comparing "rapid transit" and "safe transit" routes An overview of the major landmarks along Curiosity's traverse to date. Both past (white) and proposed future (yellow, green) paths are based on Curiosity mission maps produced by Fred Calef. The yellow "rapid transit route" was the original drive plan, but after the wheels started accumulating damage from pointy rocks, they changed the plan to drive on safer, sandier terrain here mapped in green as the "safe transit route." Murray Buttes marks the point where Curiosity will be able to navigate across the basaltic sand dune field and finally begin to approach the layered, clay-rich rocks for which Curiosity's landing site was selected. The base map is a Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera mosaic assembled by Tanya Harrison, colorized with a Mars Express High Resolution Stereo Camera image. NASA / JPL / MSSS / Emily Lakdawalla