NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover sends stunning selfie to Earth

This self-portrait of NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at “Namib Dune”, where the rover’s activities included scuffing into the dune with a wheel and scooping samples of sand for laboratory analysis.

NASA’s Curiosity rover took a selfie at “Namib Dune”, while the rover was on a mission.

The 57 images for the composite were taken on January 19 using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera, which is fixed on the robotic arm of Curiosity Mars rover. JPL designed and built the project’s Curiosity rover. “The site is part of Bagnold Dune Field, which lines the northwestern flank of Mars’ Mount Sharp”.

The rover also managed to take three different samples of the dune around the same time it took the selfie.

“The rover has been investigating a group of active sand dunes for two months, studying how the wind moves and sorts sand particles on Mars”, said NASA in a statement.

The extended arm, not unlike a selfie stick, is barely visible in the photo because of the way the composites are put together. During it’s work there, it has discovered an ancient streambed and has gathered enough evidence to prove that some form of microbial life existed on Mars billions of years ago, according to NASA’s website.

Reachers are now determining the next step for the “fun loving” Curiosity rover.

Long StoryWhile humans haven’t made it to Mars – not without a lack of effort from Elon Musk – we’ve been able to send robots there to take the first footsteps, or rather, treadmarks.