Flat tire on another planet

Suffering a puncture in a tire is not a problem exclusive to vehicles on Earth.

NASA’s Curiosity robotic all-terrain vehicle, which has been traveling on the surface of Mars since it arrived on that planet in 2012, has six wheels. They are hard, made of aluminum, which makes the vehicle immune to a tire blowout that deflates it.

Even so, since Mars is not exactly paved or even has cart paths, driving on it tends to damage even the most robust wheels.

In this photograph, which was taken by Curiosity itself with a camera on its robotic arm on September 22, 2024, the wheel located between the front and rear wheels on the right side appears. As can be seen, the wear on the wheel is notable, including several holes.

(Photo: NASA JPL / Caltech / MSSS)

Despite everything, Curiosity continues to explore places on Mars and may do so for many more years, judging by the longevity of other NASA space robots. (Fountain: NCYT by Amazings)