Major software update to Curiosity rover allows for faster driving on Martian surface

Key Highlights :

1. A major software update to the Curiosity rover will allow the robot to drive faster on the Martian surface and reduce wear on its wheels, potentially boosting the mission’s lifespan.

2. Those are just some of 180 software changes applied to Curiosity between April 3 and April 7.

3. It’s the rover’s first significant software update since 2016.

4. Among the other software changes were two new mobility commands to reduce the amount of steering the rover needs to do, a way of moving the rover’s arms and mast with greater ease, simplifying preexisting code on the rover, and pathways to make future software patches easier to install.

The Curiosity rover, NASA's flagship Mars exploration mission, is set to receive a major software update that will enable it to drive faster and more efficiently on the Martian surface. The update, which includes 180 software changes, was applied to the rover between April 3 and April 7, 2023. This marks the first significant software update for the rover since 2016.

One of the most significant changes in the software update is the inclusion of new mobility commands that will reduce the amount of steering the rover needs to do, thereby reducing wear on its wheels. The update will also simplify preexisting code on the rover, and create pathways to make future software patches easier to install.

In addition to improving the rover's ability to navigate the Martian terrain, the software update will also improve the rover's ability to communicate with Earth. This will allow for more efficient transmission of scientific data back to Earth and will ultimately help to extend the mission's lifespan.

Michael Watkins, Curiosity project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, said, "This update will allow Curiosity to drive faster on the Martian surface and explore more territory. We're looking forward to testing it out on the ground."

The update is currently in testing and is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. Once complete, the update will enable Curiosity to travel further and faster on the Martian surface, allowing it to explore more territory and gather more data.

The Curiosity rover, which was launched in November 2011, has been exploring the surface of Mars since it landed there in August 2012. The rover has made numerous discoveries during its time on the Red Planet, including evidence that the area where it landed may have been the site of a former lake or ocean.

In conclusion, the latest software update for the Curiosity rover will allow it to drive faster and more efficiently on the Martian surface, reduce wear on its wheels, and improve its ability to communicate with Earth. This update will ultimately help to extend the mission's lifespan and allow for more efficient gathering of scientific data.

Continue Reading at Source : gizmodo