Curiosity (rover) submit their names to be sent to Mars. More than 1.2 million people from the international community participated, and their names were etched into silicon using an electron-beam machine used for fabricating micro devices at JPL, and this plaque is now installed on the deck of "Curiosity". In keeping with a 40-year tradition, a plaque with the signatures of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden was also installed. Elsewhere on the rover is the autograph of Clara Ma, the 12-year-old girl from Kansas who gave "Curiosity" its name in an essay contest, writing in part that "curiosity is
Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory to the drill mechanism and the rover started moving again on December 9. The robotic arm is functional, and the "Curiosity" team performed diagnostics on the drill mechanism throughout 2017. On June 4, 2018, NASA announced that "Curiosity" ability to drill has been sufficiently restored by changing the drilling methods. Since September 15, 2018, a glitch in "Curiosity"'s active computer (Side-B) has prevented "Curiosity" from storing science and key engineering data. On October 3, 2018, the JPL began operating "Curiosity" on its backup computer (Side-A). "Curiosity" will store science and engineering data normally using its Side-A computer until the cause