Over the past four months, Perseverance has gained an unexpected companion, NASA said in a statement.
As noted by the space agency, the stone is notdoes no damage to the wheel, but throughout the journey it has appeared on Hazcam images. Recall that this is a type of camera that is usually installed in front and behind planetary rovers to ensure safety during maneuvers on the surface of a celestial body.
Image Credit & Copyright: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This is not the first time a Mars roveraccompanies the stone. About 18 years ago, a sample the size of a potato hit the rear right wheel of the Spirit rover and had to be dislodged. It hit the front right wheel of the Curiosity rover. Although it is unclear exactly how long these stones remained there, they typically bounced off after a few weeks. Thus, the current companion of Perseverance will soon become a “record-breaking hitchhiker” on Mars.
Experts suggest that at some point duringtime of a future ascent along the rim of Jezero Crater, the rock could fall out. If it does, the rock will land among samples that will be very different from itself. As NASA joked this week, it "could confuse a future Martian geologist "
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