Rendering Depicts Curiosity at Gediz Vallis Ridge

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover can be seen in this 3D rendering of Gediz Vallis Ridge, a formation the mission's science team has long sought to explore. It took the mission four attempts over three years to finally reach the ridge in mid-August 2023. This rendering was created using science data and imagery captured from space by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Curiosity team member Alex Bryk made the rendering using the same software the team uses to chart Curiosity's route up Mount Sharp, which the rover has been ascending since 2014. Where Curiosity appears in this image, the ridge is estimated to be nearly 70 feet (21 meters) tall. After spending Aug. 14-25 at the ridge, Curiosity departed to drive farther up the mountain; the rover's team will be searching for a path to the left side of the channel that's seen at the top of this image.

Curiosity was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California. JPL leads the mission on behalf of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

For more about Curiosity, visit: http://mars.nasa.gov/msl