NASA Mars rover finds a vast honeycomb field on Mars
NASA's Curiosity, the long-running NASA Mars rover, has discovered a vast field of honeycomb-like polygonal fractures across Valle Grande—the largest such expanse the mission has ever imaged. A June 2026 panorama shows the geometric textures stretching as far as the eye can see, offering fresh clues to the Red Planet's ancient watery past.
Key Takeaways
- Curiosity imaged a sea of polygonal fractures in Valle Grande on sols 4,930–4,931 (June 19–20, 2026).
- Each honeycomb shape measures about 1.5 to 3 inches (4 to 8 centimeters) across.
- The patterns wrap around the sand-capped Miraflores butte, roughly 20 feet (6 meters) tall.
- Scientists say mud cracks, temperature cycles, or burial compression may have formed them.
- Project scientist Ashwin Vasavada said the “sea of polygons took our breath away.”
What did the NASA Mars rover actually find?
As Curiosity began climbing Valle Grande, it sent back images of honeycomb-like textures called polygonal fractures. Mission scientists had spotted small patches before, but never at this scale.
In a 360-degree panorama captured on June 19 and 20, 2026—the rover's 4,930th and 4,931st Martian days—the shapes spread in all directions. They even wrap around Miraflores, a nearby butte topped with a thick cap of sand.
According to NASA, each polygon is about 1.5 to 3 inches (4 to 8 centimeters) across.
Why do these honeycomb textures matter?
Some polygons Curiosity has seen before clearly formed as mud cracks. Other processes can leave the same honeycomb look, including warm-cold temperature cycles or compression that squeezed water from sediment when the surface was buried.
“We've seen a lot of fascinating landscapes through Curiosity's eyes, but this sea of polygons took our breath away,” said Ashwin Vasavada of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The team measured shapes and chemistry carefully, hoping the data hold clues to how the features formed.
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How does this fit Curiosity's bigger Mars story?
These polygons join a long list of surprises since Curiosity landed on Aug. 5, 2012. The rover has been ascending Mount Sharp since 2014, after finding evidence that lakes and streams once dappled the mountain's lower foothills.
Beyond sulfur crystals and shiny meteorites, Curiosity has shown ancient Mars had the water, chemistry, and nutrients to support microbial life. It has also uncovered carbon-based molecules believed to be precursors to RNA and DNA—though scientists cannot yet say whether biology or geology created them.
Either way, the Valle Grande honeycomb field is another vivid reminder that Mars' rusty surface still hides a deep, watery history.