Curiosity's left front wheel, sol 411

Filed under pretty pictures, pics of spacecraft in space, spacecraft, Mars, Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory)

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Curiosity took this photo of its left front wheel on sol 411 (October 2, 2013). A hole in the wheel is visible. Holes in the wheels are not a concern for the Curiosity mission; such wear and tear is expected, especially in the thinnest areas of the wheels between the treads.

NASA / JPL / MSSS

Here is a zoom view of the tear:

NASA / JPL / MSSS

Detail view of Curiosity's left front wheel, sol 411 (October 2, 2013)

This image is in the public domain. Original image data dated on or about October 2, 2013

Comments:

Jason: 10/03/2013 09:27 CDT

Why didn't they use rubber on the wheels?

Boris: 10/03/2013 01:44 CDT

torn peace is foil thin, cold that be just inside coating that got scraped off?

Boris: 10/03/2013 01:48 CDT

Oh, I see, they are foil thin, nwm.

Emily Lakdawalla: 10/03/2013 05:52 CDT

Jason: they don't need it, and weight costs. Also, goals of this mission are in part to detect organic compounds -- it would massively contaminate the environment to coat your wheels with a material made of organic compounds and then attempt to detect organic compounds on Mars.