Curiosity rover has spotted a strange feature on Mars that scientists say was not a footprint. The image showed something unlike anything they had seen before on the Red Planet, while the rover remains active 14 years after landing.
The finding gives NASA another look at how long-running robotic missions can still return unusual surface details long after their original landing. Curiosity is still going strong on Mars, while Perseverance is the newest addition to NASA's robotic Red Planet fleet.
Curiosity on Mars
Curiosity's latest image matters because it comes from a rover that has been working on Mars for 14 years since landing. That long operating stretch is part of why the feature drew attention: the rover is still sending back images capable of revealing surface details that scientists have not seen before.
The image initially suggested a footprint, but the feature turned out not to be one. NASA said scientists found something strange and unusual instead, leaving the object itself undescribed beyond that narrow identification. For readers tracking the mission, the key point is simple: Curiosity is still active enough to keep producing new questions.
NASA's Red Planet fleet
NASA's robotic Red Planet fleet now includes Perseverance, which the source describes as the newest addition. That comparison puts Curiosity in a clear role: an older rover still working while newer hardware continues the same surface exploration effort.
Curiosity's continued activity is the practical takeaway. A rover that landed 14 years ago is still returning images that can surprise scientists, which means the mission remains a live source of surface observations rather than a completed archive.
Unusual feature remains unnamed
The main unanswered point is the feature itself. NASA's description stops at saying it was not a footprint and that it looked unlike anything scientists had seen before on Mars's surface.
For now, the useful reader takeaway is that Curiosity is still capable of finding anomalies, and NASA has not identified this one in the facts provided here. The image leaves the mission with a fresh mystery on Mars.
