Skip Navigation
menu

Images

Topography of Gale Crater

Color coding in this image of Gale Crater on Mars represents differences in elevation, with blue relatively low and tan relatively high.

November 22, 2011

Color coding in this image of Gale Crater on Mars represents differences in elevation, with blue relatively low and tan relatively high. The vertical difference from a low point inside the landing ellipse for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory to a high point on the mountain inside the crater is about 3 miles (5 kilometers).

Credits

NASA/JPL-Caltech

ENLARGE

Related

This artist's concept animation depicts key events in NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, including launch; cruise; entry, descent & landing; and, surface operations.
More
Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) Mission Animation
Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) Mission Animation
This view combines several frames taken by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, looking into a valley to the west from the eastern side of a dune at the eastern end of the valley.
More
This view combines several frames taken by the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity, looking into a valley to the west from the eastern side of a dune at the eastern end of the valley.
Martian Valley May Be Curiosity's Route (White-Balanced, Annotated)
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians guide the backshell as it is lowered over NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, f...
More
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, technicians guide the backshell as it is lowered over NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity, for encapsulation.
Backshell Meets Rover!
The bit in the rotary-percussion drill of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity left its mark in a target patch of rock called "John Klein" during a test on the rover's 176th Martian day, or sol (Feb. 2, 201...
More
The bit in the rotary-percussion drill of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity left its mark in a target patch of rock called "John Klein" during a test on the rover's 176th Martian day, or sol (Feb. 2, 2013), in preparation for the first drilling of a rock by the rover.
Preparatory Test for First Rock Drilling by Mars Rover Curiosity
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft has been fully stacked for flight in this photograph from inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Fla., in October 2011.
More
NASA's Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft has been fully stacked for flight in this photograph from inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center, Fla., in October 2011.
Mars Science Laboratory Stacked Spacecraft
This image from the right Mast Camera (Mastcam) of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows roughly spherical features.
More
This image from the right Mast Camera (Mastcam) of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows roughly spherical features.
Spherules in 'Yellowknife Bay'
.
More
This black-and-white image shows a large crater and small crater on the surface of Mars in three views, in which the craters are in slightly different positions relative to the middle of each of the three frames. It simulates what the camera might see as it moved horizontally through the atmosphere during descent. A sunflower-petal-like blanket of ejected rocks and soil surround the dark hole of the bright rimmed crater.
Mars Exploration Rovers simulated descent imager
This Dec. 5, 2015, view of the undisturbed surface of a Martian sand dune called "High Dune" shows coarse grains remaining on the surface after wind removal of smaller particles. The image covers a...
More
This Dec. 5, 2015, view of the undisturbed surface of a Martian sand dune called "High Dune" shows coarse grains remaining on the surface after wind removal of smaller particles. The image covers an area 1.4 inches across. It was taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI).
Surface Close-up of a Martian Sand Dune
​NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered ancient organic molecules on Mars, embedded within sedimentary rocks that are billions of years old.
More
NASA's Curiosity rover has discovered ancient organic molecules on Mars, embedded within sedimentary rocks that are billions of years old.
Curiosity Detects "Tough" Organics on Mars
The Mars Descent Imager for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory took this image inside the Malin Space Science Systems clean room in San Diego, Calif., during calibration testing of the camera in June 2...
More
The Mars Descent Imager for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory took this image inside the Malin Space Science Systems clean room in San Diego, Calif., during calibration testing of the camera in June 2008.
Test Image by Mars Descent Imager
NASA's Curiosity rover captured its highest-resolution panorama of the Martian surface between Nov. 24 and Dec. 1, 2019.
More
Along with an almost 1.8-billion-pixel panorama that doesn't feature the rover, NASA's Curiosity captured a 650-million-pixel panorama that features the rover itself
Curiosity's 1.8-Billion-Pixel Panorama
This animation depicts movements of the robotic arm of NASA's Mars rover Curiosity as commanded for Aug. 20, 2012, the first time the arm was used on Mars. The animation is derived from visualizati...
More
Planning Curiosity's First Arm Moves on Mars
Planning Curiosity's First Arm Moves on Mars
This video clip shows the larger of the two moons of Mars, Phobos, passing directly in front of the sun, in an eclipse photographed by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity. (No audio)
More
Mars' Moon Phobos Eclipses the Sun, as Seen by NASA Rover Curiosity
Mars' Moon Phobos Eclipses the Sun, as Seen by NASA Rover Curiosity
This graphic maps the first 14 sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected rock or soil samples for analysis using the rover's onboard laboratory. It also presents images of the drilled holes...
More
This graphic maps the first 14 sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected rock or soil samples for analysis using the rover's onboard laboratory. It also presents images of the drilled holes where 12 rock-powder samples were acquired. At the other two sites Curiosity scooped soil samples.
Curiosity's First 14 Rock or Soil Sampling Sites on Mars
Mars Science Laboratory Parachute Qualification Testing
More
Mars Science Laboratory Parachute Qualification Testing
Mars Science Laboratory Parachute Qualification Testing
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, right, is presented a plaque by JPL Director Michael Watkins during a tour of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Saturday, April 28, 2018 in Pasadena, California. The...
More
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, right, is presented a plaque by JPL Director Michael Watkins during a tour of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Saturday, April 28, 2018 in Pasadena, California. The plaque presents a view of the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity on the surface of Mars.
Vice President Pence Tours Jet Propulsion Laboratory
No bones about it! Seen by Mars rover Curiosity using its MastCam, this Mars rock may look like a femur thigh bone. Mission science team members think its shape is likely sculpted by erosion, eithe...
More
This Mars rock may look like a femur thigh bone, but its shape is likely sculpted by erosion, either wind or water.
Bone up on Mars Rock Shapes
Five years of images from the front left hazard avoidance camera (Hazcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover were used to create this time-lapse movie. The inset map shows the rover's location in Mars'...
More
Rover POV: Five Years of Curiosity on Mars
Rover POV: Five Years of Curiosity on Mars
Engineers put the rover through thousands of hours of testing. They did drop tests; pull tests; drive tests; load tests, and many other tests to get Curiosity ready for launch.
More
Challenges of Getting to Mars: Getting a Rover Ready for Launch
Challenges of Getting to Mars: Getting a Rover Ready for Launch
This view of the twilight sky and Martian horizon taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover includes Earth as the brightest point of light in the night sky
More
This view of the twilight sky and Martian horizon taken by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover includes Earth as the brightest point of light in the night sky
Bright 'Evening Star' Seen from Mars is Earth (Annotated)
As the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite of instruments on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover heats a sample, gases are released (or "evolved") from the sample and can be identified using SAM's quadrupo...
More
As the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite of instruments on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover heats a sample, gases are released (or "evolved") from the sample and can be identified using SAM's quadrupole mass spectrometer.
Major Volatiles Released from the Fourth 'John Klein' Portion
This view from the wide-angle Hazard Avoidance Camera on the front of NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows the rover's drill in position for a mini-drill test to assess whether a rock target called "M...
More
This view from the wide-angle Hazard Avoidance Camera on the front of NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows the rover's drill in position for a mini-drill test to assess whether a rock target called "Mojave" is appropriate for full-depth drilling to collect a sample. It was taken on Jan. 13, 2015.
Curiosity Conducting Mini-Drill Test at 'Mojave'
NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, stretches its robotic arm upward during Sept. 3, 2010, tests on a tilt table in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Labotatory, Pasadena, Calif. Test operators ...
More
NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, stretches its robotic arm upward during Sept. 3, 2010, tests on a tilt table in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Labotatory, Pasadena, Calif. Test operators in clean room garb monitor the motions simulating maneuvers that the rover might make while on a sloped surface on Mars.
Arm Stretch by Curiosity Mars Rover
This view of Curiosity's deck shows a plaque bearing several signatures of US officials, including that of President Obama and Vice President Biden.
More
This view of Curiosity's deck shows a plaque bearing several signatures of US officials, including that of President Obama and Vice President Biden.
President's Signature Onboard Curiosity
The graph at right presents information from the NASA Curiosity Mars rover's onboard analysis of rock powder drilled from the "Big Sky" and "Greenhorn" target locations, shown at left.
More
The graph at right presents information from the NASA Curiosity Mars rover's onboard analysis of rock powder drilled from the "Big Sky" and "Greenhorn" target locations, shown at left.
'Big Sky' and 'Greenhorn' Drill Holes and CheMin X-ray Diffraction

You Might Also Like

The agency is asking the NASA community to work together to develop a revised plan that leverages innovation and proven technology.
More
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA has proven powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds, just as the Wright brothers proved it was possible on Earth.
More
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
The agency established the board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission’s design.
More
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
A pair of quakes in 2021 sent seismic waves deep into the Red Planet’s core, giving scientists the best data yet on its size and composition.
More
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
Ten sample tubes, capturing an amazing variety of Martian geology, have been deposited on Mars’ surface so they could be studied on Earth in the future.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
Filled with rock, the sample tube will be one of 10 forming a depot of tubes that could be considered for a journey to Earth by the Mars Sample Return campaign.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface