NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover was able to capture some astonishing images of the Red Planet ever since it became operational in 2020.
Thanks to its advanced camera sensors and other features, the space vehicle was able to send images showing different things on the Red Planet, as well as unexplored regions.
Now, it seems like the Mars Perseverance rover spotted another unique object on Mars. This is specifically trash trapped between two rocks located on the Jezero Crater.
NASA Mars Perseverance Rover Spots an Unusual Trash!
According to Space.Com's latest report, the new space object spotted by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover is a piece of the thermal blanket believed to be used when the space agency's rocket-powered jet pack.
(Photo : Twitter post of @NASAPersevere)
NASA Mars Perseverance Rover Spots an Unusual Trash! Here's What It is and Why Experts are Confused
On the other hand, NASA JPL's spokesperson, Andrew Good, confirmed that the object found on the Red Planet's surface is actually from the thermal blanket, as reported by CNET.
"Less definite is which part of the spacecraft it came from - the team thinks the descent stage is a good possibility," said Good.
Based on the images provided by the international space union, the trash is like a thin metal foil, with lots of black dots.
NASA posted the photos captured by the Perseverance rover on June 15. You can check the tweets below to see the actual pictures taken by the space vehicle.
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. pic.twitter.com/O4rIaEABLu
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) June 15, 2022
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? pic.twitter.com/uVx3VdYfi8
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) June 15, 2022
Why NASA Experts are Confused
NASA experts are currently baffled by the new space trash they discovered. The Perseverance team explained that if the thermal blanket was discovered around 2 km (1.2 miles) away from its original location.
Because of this, they are unsure if the piece of thermal blanket actually landed there during the atmosphere entry or was it blown away by the wind.
Of course, there are some individuals who will think that this is a sign of life on the Red Planet. But, NASA clarified that the trash is actually from their gear.
This is not the first time that NASA spotted some of its equipment on Mars. On Apr. 19, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter also found the parachute and backshell of the Perseverance rover.
Meanwhile, the NASA Chandra X-ray telescope was able to capture galaxy clusters colliding in space.
On the other hand, NASA's Venus images were re-released as part of its effort to start a new scientific breakthrough.
For more news updates about NASA's Perseverance rover and its upcoming space images, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
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Written by: Griffin Davis
