Time flies when you’re exploring another planet! This week marks my one-year landiversary on Mars (Feb. 18) and I have several drives planned and more rocks to see. Meanwhile, my team back on Earth has various ways you can celebrate my first year at Mars: https://t.co/iF4lZGRAtQ
I’ve now been on Mars for a full (Earth) year! Many firsts on an ambitious to-do list:
✅ Collected first rock cores from another planet
✅ Served as base station for #MarsHelicopter
✅ Extracted oxygen from thin Martian air
✅ Set driving records
More: https://t.co/ycR7IcZe0m
✅ Collected first rock cores from another planet
✅ Served as base station for #MarsHelicopter
✅ Extracted oxygen from thin Martian air
✅ Set driving records
More: https://t.co/ycR7IcZe0m
NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
I’ve been “pedal to the metal” lately, focused on my drive to the upcoming delta. But I’ve also spotted a few interesting things along the way: look closely and you’ll see part of the parachute and capsule I rode in on. Definitely wouldn’t be where I am without…
You can spot them both in the middle distance. On the left is a thin line of orange and white: the parachute fabric at rest on the ground. The brighter object to the right is a section of my backshell, the top half of the capsule that protected me during descent.
NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
Today I witnessed history. Now you can too. You’re watching video of the #MarsHelicopter’s first flight – a true “Wright brothers” moment. Watch it all unfold: ✅ Spin-up ✅ Takeoff ✅ Hover ✅ Turn ✅ Landing Read more: https://t.co/FIsf5RfHGj
A year ago, I watched this little adventurer take its first short hop into the history books. We planned for maybe a few weeks of basic flight tests. Who knew the #MarsHelicopter would still be zipping along, helping inform where I go next? Keep soaring, Ingenuity!
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Truly fascinating. I zoomed in with my Mastcam-Z camera on a Phobos solar eclipse. This detailed video can help scientists on my team better understand the Martian moon’s orbit and how its gravity affects the interior of Mars, including its crust & mantle. https://t.co/jVdJ4UwhDx
A skydiver is only as good as their equipment – and this gear worked beautifully! Thanks to the #MarsHelicopter Ingenuity for capturing these new aerial views of my parachute and backshell:
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NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
My team has spotted something unexpected: It’s a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, the rocket-powered jet pack that set me down on landing day back in 2021.
That shiny bit of foil is part of a thermal blanket – a material used to control temperatures. It’s a surprise finding this here: My descent stage crashed about 2 km away. Did this piece land here after that, or was it blown here by the wind?
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NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
That shiny bit of foil is part of a thermal blanket – a material used to control temperatures. It’s a surprise finding this here: My descent stage crashed about 2 km away. Did this piece land here after that, or was it blown here by the wind?
Here’s part of the team at JPL that wrapped me up in thermal blankets. Think of them as spacecraft dressmakers. They work with sewing machines and other tools to piece together these unique materials.
More on that here: https://t.co/CNkUheYFnQ
More on that here: https://t.co/CNkUheYFnQ
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From earlier, distant views, my team nicknamed this area “the bacon strip.” (My overhead map shows why.) Now that I’m up on top, we’re calling it “Hogwallow Flats” – and the nearby rocks are a sight to behold. My team is happy as pigs in mud(stone)!
Map: https://t.co/SEbqOKoQq1
Map: https://t.co/SEbqOKoQq1
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NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
Photo
I mean, take a look at some of these close-ups. Tons of potential targets for study. Paradise for rock nerds like myself.
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