Curiosity's six-year Martian odyssey reveals wheel wear and climate clues

A new two-minute timelapse from NASA's Curiosity rover compresses over six years of driving across Gale Crater into a short video, showing the rover's aluminum wheels sustaining dents, holes and gashes from sharp rocks and rough terrain. Scientists use the footage—captured by Curiosity's right navigation camera—to study how sand moves and how winds affect the deck, revealing seasonal atmospheric patterns and the mission's endurance. Despite the wear, Curiosity remains mobile, having driven more than 20 miles and continuing to reshape Mars science and inform the design of future rovers like Perseverance.