Greetings from Mars! Curiosity snaps rover self-portrait
Mars rover Curiosity’s self-portrait
Smile and say "Cheese," Curiosity!
In an oddly human gesture, the Mars rover extended its robotic arm a few days ago and snapped a self-portrait on Mars that was beamed back to Earth.
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The rover appears to peer into the lens and bears a striking resemblance to Pixar's "Wall-E" robot.
The image was taken during tests by NASA engineers that put the robotic arm – and the instruments attached to it – through a variety of maneuvers to make sure everything's working, The Telegraph reported.
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Prior to its arm workout, Curiosity had been travelling toward Glenelg, an area on Mars where three different kinds of rocks coexist. The rover will take samples and evaluate the terrain, according to PC Magazine.
Curiosity has approximately 23 months left of its expected two-year Mars mission.
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