Curiosity is set to embark on its very first test drive tomorrow, but before it does, it needs to wiggle its wheels. These images, which show the rover’s right-side wheel wiggling about, suggest Curiosity is ready to roll (or at least steer).
The plan is to have the rover drive three meters forward, turn in place 90 degrees to the right, then reverse for two meters. Pretty straightforward, but the maneuvers will take Curiosity close to half an hour to perform. Why? Because it pays to be cautious when you’re driving a rover from hundreds of millions of miles away, that’s why.
See more images and animations of Curiosity’s wheel wiggling over at NASA.
Top image modified from gif by Emily Lakdawalla, blogger extraordinaire for The Planetary Society.
