Here I go again on my own. Down the only road I've ever known. Out of safe mode—back to work https://t.co/vPXUmmiTyj pic.twitter.com/v4TI4AZt5T — Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) July 11, 2016

Curiosity has gone into safe mode several times before, all back in 2013. However, the previous glitches were more serious, as NASA actually had to restore its software systems from a backup. The mission was recently extended for two years to let the robot make more breathtaking discoveries and hopefully even spot some water.

It could be extended even further, but it's hard to say whether we'll get Opportunity-like endurance out of Curiosity. The nuclear-powered robot's plutonium-238 power supply could last up to 15 years, but it's likely that its batteries or other parts will break down first. Many scientists think that if it's still going when the Mars 2020 rover arrives on the red planet, that would be a great outcome.