Gale (crater) the "Curiosity" rover will continue to explore higher and younger layers of Mount Sharp in order to determine how the lake environment in ancient times on Mars became the drier environment in more modern times. 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)) On June 7, 2018, NASA's Curiosity made two significant discoveries in the Gale crater. Organic molecules preserved in 3.5 billion-year-old bedrock and seasonal variations
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