Curiosity Celebrates 14th Anniversary on Mars, Continues Science on Mount Sharp

NASA’s Curiosity rover marked its 14th landing anniversary on Aug. 6, 2026, a milestone celebrated by the Earth team and the rover’s crew in the control room. On Sol 4976, the rover’s arm deployed to the target “Tunas Khasa” for an APXS measurement while climbing Mount Sharp. The mission continued its routine of science and housekeeping: ChemCam probed “Lago Rupanco” and “Chulipa Punta,” MAHLI captured high‑resolution images of bedrock layers, Mastcam mosaicked nearby outcrops, and SAM performed a column‑cleaning. Environmental monitoring—dust‑devil surveys, wind, atmospheric opacity, and radiation by RAD—remained active. The week’s activities underscored Curiosity’s ongoing exploration of Mars’ geological history and its enduring engineering performance.