NASA spacecraft just found trash on Mars

there Garbage in the deep ocean, 35,700 feet below the surface. There is also garbage on Mars.

While Searching for hints of past microbial life on Mars, NASA’s Persevere rover recently spotted landing debris stuck in a jagged boulder. It’s a thermoplastic material that the space agency used to protect the persevering spacecraft from extreme temperatures during its journey to Mars and plunged through the Martian atmosphere.

“My team discovered something unexpected: It’s a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, and it’s the rocket-powered jet beam that got me down on landing day in 2021,” NASA tweeted From the Perseverance rover account on Wednesday.

The tweet may have been deleted
(Opens in a new tab)

The looming question is how the flake-like debris found its way into this region on Mars’ Jezero Crater, about two kilometers (1.2 mi) from where the landing gear (“rocket-powered aircraft package”) crashed in the Martian desert.

“Did this piece land here after that, or was it blown away by the wind?” The The space agency asked.

perseverance rover Landed expertly on Mars In February 2021. On its way down, the spacecraft carrying the rover abandoned a variety of tools and objects, including a heat shield, a supersonic parachute, and a rocket-powered sky lifter that lowered the craft to Earth. The robot the size of a car has Already gurgling by the left umbrellaso it’s not terribly surprising that the rover is now stumbling upon more landing debris.

Perseverance does not have much time to admire the litter. It is now entering the climax of its mission as it explores a dry river delta at Jezero Crater. About 3 billion years ago, NASA planetary scientists believed that this region was filled with water.

“This delta is one of the best locations on Mars for a rover to look for signs of past microscopic life,” NASA said.