Updated

NASA's Curiosity rover has logged 5,000 sols (Martian days) on Mars, according to a mission blog post by planetary scientist William Farrand covering the Aug. 28, 2026 planning period. The rover also passed the 1-kilometer mark in total elevation gained since landing, a milestone mission scientists describe as making Curiosity a world-class Mars mountaineer. The update highlights the rover's ongoing ascent of Mount Sharp as it continues its long-running geological survey of Gale Crater, part of its mission to study the Martian environment's past habitability. The blog post is part of regular mission updates NASA scientists provide detailing Curiosity's operations and scientific findings.