NASA's rover Perseverance is one of the latest additions to the growing list of robotic explorers sent to the Red Planet. Launched in July 2020, after seven months of travel, Perseverance's mission is to search for signs of past life on Mars, collect samples of Martian soil and study the planet's geology.
Perseverance Mission
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Learn more about the little robot's mission and what was seen in the selfie captured by him:
Arrival on Mars
Since Perseverance's arrival on Mars in February 2021, the NASA team has been working diligently to test and prepare the robot for its primary mission. Recently, the team was able to sample Martian soil for the first time, an impressive feat that took many years of planning and development to achieve.
unusual selfie
In addition, Perseverance also sent a selfie to Earth that caught the attention of the public. The image shows the rover in a Martian landscape, with Mount Sharp in the background.
However, a curious detail drew attention: a small helicopter, called Ingenuity, can be seen attached to the bottom of the robot.
Ingenuity is another NASA project that is currently on Mars. It is an autonomous helicopter designed to explore the atmosphere of Mars and provide aerial images of the planet.
The helicopter was transported to Mars with Perseverance, and is now trapped under the robot as it moves across the Martian surface.
While it might seem strange that NASA would send a helicopter to Mars, Ingenuity's project is an important proof of concept for autonomous aircraft on other planets. If the helicopter manages to fly successfully on Mars, it could open the door for future exploratory missions using autonomous aircraft.
Perseverance Mission
Perseverance's mission to the surface of Mars is expected to last at least one Martian year, equivalent to about two Earth years. During that time, the team at NASA it will continue to collect soil samples and study the geology of Mars, with the ultimate goal of answering the question that has intrigued humanity for decades: is there or was there life on Mars?
