NASA explains how it keeps the Curiosity rover running, 13 years later

NASA's Curiosity rover, now 13 years into its Mars mission, has far surpassed its initial two-year plan. To conserve power from its decaying plutonium generator, NASA consolidates tasks and allows early sleep cycles. Engineers have improved drilling and driving methods to reduce wear. Curiosity's extended mission has yielded important findings, including organic molecules, atmospheric methane, and evidence of ancient megafloods, suggesting Mars' potential to have once supported life.