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Thursday, Sep 6, 2012 7:29 PM UTC

Visible from space: Curiosity tire tracks on Mars

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WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA’s robotic rover Curiosity is making its mark on Mars. Its tracks are big enough to be seen from space.

In just one month, it’s driven 368 feet on the red planet, slightly more than the length of a football field. Curiosity’s slightly zig-zaggy tire tracks were photographed by a NASA satellite circling Mars and also from the rover’s rear-facing cameras.

The spacecraft landed on Aug. 5 on a mission to look for ingredients that could support life.

Mission manager Michael Watkins said Thursday that the rover team gave each other high fives when the images arrived.

Curiosity won’t be traveling more for several days. Engineers will spend the next week checking out the rover’s crucial robotic arm and scientific instruments.

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