New NASA images reveal giant hole in Curiosity rover's wheel after 12 years of 'abuse' on Mars

New photos reveal several sizable holes in one of the wheels of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, highlighting the toll that 12 years of scrambling across the Red Planet's harsh landscape have taken on the intrepid roaming robot.

Curiosity first touched down on Mars on Aug. 5, 2012 and was initially only expected to last for two years. But the hardy rover has defied expectations and has lasted 4,323 Martian days, or Sols, on the Red Planet, traveling more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) around the Gale Crater, where it originally landed.

During this time, Curiosity has been used by scientists to study Mars' sky, search for signs of alien life and spy on the far side of the sun. The rover has also spotted numerous oddities on the Red Planet including a book-shaped rock, a mineral flower, an iconic Star Trek symbol and a Mysterious "alien" doorway, among others.

However, new photos taken by Curiosity's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and released by NASA on Sept. 24 reveal that the rover's epic journey has taken a toll on the robot's middle right wheel. The images show several large tears in the wheel's heavily scratched tire, including one particularly large hole that reveals the wheel’s inner mechanisms. It is currently unclear when these holes first emerged or if any of the rover's other wheels have suffered similar damage.

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The damage may look bad but Curiosity "is still holding up well despite taking some of the worst abuse from Mars," mission operations engineer Ashley Stroupe wrote in the statement.

There is no indication that the rover will stop anytime soon. But if it did, it would join a growing list of recent robotic casualties on Mars, including China's Zhurong Mars rover, which was revealed to have met its end last year after months of speculation around its inactivity, and NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which sent its final message to Earth in April.