Curiosity (rover) to Mars in 2020. Some spare parts from the build and ground test of "Curiosity" may be used in the new vehicle. On August 5, 2017, NASA celebrated the fifth anniversary of the "Curiosity" rover mission landing, and related exploratory accomplishments, on the planet Mars. (Videos: "Curiosity" First Five Years (02:07); "Curiosity" POV: Five Years Driving (05:49); "Curiosity" Discoveries About Gale Crater (02:54)) As reported in 2018, drill samples taken in 2015 uncovered organic molecules of benzene and propane in 3 billion year old rock samples in Gale Crater. The NASA/JPL Mars Science Laboratory/"Curiosity" Project Team was awarded the 2012
Mars Exploration Rover "Opportunity" marked six years on Mars, respectively. On January 26, NASA announced that "Spirit" will be used as a stationary research platform after several months of unsuccessful attempts to free the rover from soft sand. NASA announced on March 24, 2010, that "Opportunity", which has an estimated remaining drive distance of 12 km to Endeavour Crater, has traveled over 20 km since the start of its mission. Each rover was designed with a mission driving distance goal of just 600 meters. One week later, they announced that "Spirit" may have gone into hibernation for the Martian winter and might not