JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Solar System .

Curiosity's First Five Years of Science on Mars

Aug 02, 2017

Your browser cannot play the provided video file(s).

Five years of Martian discoveries after seven minutes of terror.

Transcript:

Five years ago, Curiosity landed safely on Mars. Curiosity's assignment: Explore a layered mountain inside Gale Crater to learn if ancient Mars was capable of supporting life.

Curiosity has driven over 10 miles, returned over 200,000 images, drilled 15 rock samples,

...and even took a few selfies.

What has Curiosity found?

Rounded pebbles that hint of an ancient river, and a delta, where a river emptied into an ancient lake. Lakes spanned the crater floor, leaving mud that built the lower part of the mountain, inch by inch. The lakes came and went, and eventually dried up. But groundwater persisted, leaving minerals behind.

Though constantly changing, Gale Crater was habitable for millions of years. Three billion years later, a thinner atmosphere keeps Mars dry and cold. Winds shape sand into ripples and dunes, and dust devils swirl across the landscape.

Curiosity also has monitored radiation from the sun and space to help plan for the day when astronauts enjoy this same Martian view.

Download m4v

Related Pages

News .

NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover Provides Front-Row Seat to Landing, First Audio Recording of Red Planet

News .

NASA to Reveal New Video, Images From Mars Perseverance Rover

News .

NASA’s Mars Helicopter Reports In

News .

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sends Sneak Peek of Mars Landing

News .

Touchdown! NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover Safely Lands on Red Planet

News .

Searching for Life in NASA’s Perseverance Mars Samples

News .

The Mars Relay Network Connects Us to NASA’s Martian Explorers

News .

InSight Is Meeting the Challenge of Winter on Dusty Mars

News .

NASA Invites Public to Share Thrill of Mars Perseverance Rover Landing

Image .

Deep Jet Streams in Jupiter's Atmosphere

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors of JPL
JPL History
Documentary Series
Virtual Tour
Annual Reports
Missions
All
Current
Past
Future
News
All
Earth
Mars
Solar System
Universe
Technology
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Infographics
Engage
JPL and the Community
Lecture Series
Public Tours
Events
Team Competitions
JPL Speakers Bureau
Topics
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Stars and Galaxies
Exoplanets
Technology
JPL Life
For Media
Contacts and Information
Press Kits
More
Asteroid Watch
Robotics at JPL
Subscribe to Newsletter
Universe Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Manager: Veronica McGregor
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Randal Jackson, Naomi Hartono