NASA Mars rovers Curiosity suffers wheel damage as Spirit data reveals ancient water

NASA reported that the Curiosity rover’s six 50‑centimetre wheels have sustained serious damage after fourteen years of traversing the rugged surface of Mars. The agency monitors the wheels with onboard cameras, noting growing cracks and holes, but says the rover continues to fulfill its scientific mission by navigating around the most hazardous terrain.

Separately, scientists re‑examined archival data from the Spirit rover, which operated on Mars from 2004 until it was immobilised in 2009. The analysis uncovered evidence of widespread past liquid water, including hematite and altered magnetite minerals that form in the presence of water, suggesting large areas of the planet were once covered by water. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that Mars had a much wetter early environment.