NASA has stumbled across an “unexpected” shiny object on Mars. The space agency’s Perseverance rover spotted the metal foil-like item during a routine wander.
“Less definite is which part of the spacecraft it came from – the team thinks the descent stage is a good possibility – or how exactly it got here,” explained Andrew Good from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. NASA
NASA figured out where the metal came from. NASA
The mystery material isn’t from aliens. NASA
“Descent stage crashed two kilometers away; whether it landed here after that crash or was blown by the wind isn’t something we know.”
Not everyone was impressed with the discovery though.
Some commented on the fact that NASA is essentially littering on Mars.
“No humans there yet and we’ve already left litter,” one said.
