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NASA does not steer Curiosity with a live joystick. Rover planners at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) study images, choose a destination, mark safe routes and hazards, then send the rover a sequence of commands. Curiosity carries out those instructions with onboard software that estimates its motion, checks nearby terrain and can choose a safe local path.
How does NASA plan a Curiosity drive?
Planners use stereo images from the rover’s cameras to build a view of the terrain and decide how Curiosity should proceed. They can send a drive instruction in several ways:
- Blind drive: Travel a specified distance and direction without making route choices along the way.
- Waypoint navigation: Head toward designated points while steering clear of marked keep-out zones.
- Autonomous navigation: Proceed toward a destination while the rover evaluates nearby terrain and selects safe movements within the limits set by planners.
People choose the destination and operating bounds; Curiosity makes some of the immediate driving decisions. As rover planner and mobility engineer Mark Maimone put it in JPL’s “Leave the Driving to Autonav” transcript: “Humans are still in the loop. We’re going to tell her where to go. Curiosity is going to decide how to get there.”
How does Curiosity move and estimate its position?
When following a blind-drive instruction, Curiosity estimates distance from wheel rotations. NASA’s Learn About Me: Curiosity page says one full wheel revolution without slipping covers nearly 25 inches (63 centimeters). That is an estimate based on the wheel turning as expected, not a guarantee of the distance traveled over loose or uneven ground.
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The rover also combines gyroscope and accelerometer readings with measured wheel rotations to estimate its position and orientation. These onboard measurements let it track progress between communications with Earth.
How does Curiosity detect wheel slip?
Curiosity uses visual odometry as a check on wheel-based estimates. It compares Navcam images taken before and after movement, matching surface features to estimate how far the rover actually moved. If that visual estimate disagrees with the distance implied by wheel rotations, the difference can reveal wheel slip.
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Planners set how frequently the rover performs these checks and how much slip is acceptable before it should stop driving for the day. JPL reports that visual odometry has been used on more than 90% of Curiosity drives and converged successfully in 99.6% of its first 20,682 attempts. Those figures describe the use and performance reported by JPL for those drives and attempts, not a guarantee for every future drive.
How does Curiosity avoid rocks and steep slopes?
During autonomous navigation, the rover processes stereo images from its navigation and hazard cameras to identify obstacles such as large vertical steps, steep slopes and rough terrain. It can then choose a route around hazards while continuing toward the destination selected by the planners.
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JPL describes a hazard-checking pattern in which Curiosity may stop after every 0.5 meter of travel, or travel up to 1.5 meters between checks when nearby terrain is judged safe. At a check, it takes four sets of images, evaluates potential hazards and selects its next safe movement. The spacing varies with the rover’s assessment of the terrain; it is not a fixed distance for every drive.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do commands get from Earth to Mars?
Curiosity cannot be driven continuously from Earth, so it must execute much of a plan between communications contacts. Commands are uploaded as lists or sequences, while data return to Earth through either a direct radio link or a relay through a Mars orbiter. The timing of a particular command depends on the geometry of Earth, Mars and the spacecraft, available relay passes and mission scheduling; there is no single universal command latency.
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- Orbiter relay: Curiosity most often communicates through an approximately 400 MHz UHF antenna and Mars Odyssey or Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Relays are useful for returning larger volumes of data, such as panorama imagery.
- Direct Earth link: The rover’s steerable high-gain antenna can communicate directly with Earth and is useful for smaller command lists, including instructions to wake and drive.
JPL describes these communication paths on its mission communications page. Because contacts are scheduled opportunities rather than a continuous connection, onboard software is essential to carrying out a drive safely between them.
Does Curiosity make science decisions autonomously?
Some autonomy also supports science work. JPL’s AEGIS system can examine and rank targets, select one that meets criteria specified by scientists, and command ChemCam observations without waiting for a new decision from Earth. JPL says AEGIS has been in routine use on Curiosity since May 2016. This is a separate capability from autonomous driving: the system selects qualifying science targets, while human scientists set the criteria.
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