Space exploration is all about the marvel of human capability. This was reflected in NASA's successful helicopter flight on Mars and India's Aryabhata satellite - launched 46 years ago on the same day. WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: NASA flies a helicopter on Mars

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet as soon as Monday, the US space agency reported, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue.&nbsp;

The mini-helicopter's trip will mark the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, and will help NASA reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars. &nbsp;

"NASA is targeting no earlier than Monday, April 19, for the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter," the space agency reported on Saturday.&nbsp;

Data will return to Earth "a few hours following the autonomous flight," which would take off at approximately 3:30 am (0730 GMT), NASA said.&nbsp;

Ingenuity's first trip was initially set for last Sunday, but was delayed after a potential issue emerged during a high-speed test of the four-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter's rotors.&nbsp;

NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky: The flight is a challenge because the air on Mars is so thin -- less than one per cent of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. &nbsp;

The helicopter arrived on Mars attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on February 18.&nbsp;

After the helicopter's flight, Ingenuity will send Perseverance technical data on what it has done, and that information will be transmitted back to Earth. &nbsp;

The helicopter mission is be the equivalent on Mars of the first powered flight on Earth by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honor of that feat.&nbsp;

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet as soon as Monday, the US space agency reported, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue.

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter could make its first flight over the Red Planet as soon as Monday, the US space agency reported, following a delay of more than a week due to a possible technical issue. The mini-helicopter's trip will mark the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, and will help NASA reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars. "NASA is targeting no earlier than Monday, April 19, for the first flight of its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter," the space agency reported on Saturday. Data will return to Earth "a few hours following the autonomous flight," which would take off at approximately 3:30 am (0730 GMT), NASA said. Ingenuity's first trip was initially set for last Sunday, but was delayed after a potential issue emerged during a high-speed test of the four-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter's rotors. NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky: The flight is a challenge because the air on Mars is so thin -- less than one per cent of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. The helicopter arrived on Mars attached to the underside of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on February 18. After the helicopter's flight, Ingenuity will send Perseverance technical data on what it has done, and that information will be transmitted back to Earth. The helicopter mission is be the equivalent on Mars of the first powered flight on Earth by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honor of that feat.

NASA's Mars copter flight could happen as soon as Monday 

Lunar exploration company iSpace will transport a United Arab Emirates rover to the moon in 2022, the Japanese company said on Wednesday, as the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;pushes for rapid expansion in the space exploration business to diversify its economy.

The&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;is using its space programme to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil.

The Gulf state's, and the Arab world's, first interplanetary probe entered Mars' orbit in February. It is now sending data about the Martian atmosphere and climate.

The Rashid lunar rover will be designed entirely by Emiratis. The&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;had originally intended to send it into space by 2024.

Japanese company iSpace, founded in 2010, aims to provide commercial transportation to the moon with a wider mission to ultimately incorporate the moon into the earth's economy.

The 2022 launch will be iSpace's first mission of this kind and will use a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX, to be launched from Florida.

Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) will build the Rashid lunar rover. It will remain on the moon after data collection is completed, said Emirates Lunar Mission manager Hamad al-Marzooqi.

The SpaceX rocket will deliver an iSpace lander to the moon's orbit. The lander will propel itself to the moon's surface and the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;rover will then emerge from the lander and drive off to explore, said iSpace Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada.

The lander will also be carrying a solid-state battery designed by Japanese company NGK Spark Plug&nbsp;to be tested in the lunar environment.

The lunar mission is part of the Gulf state's broader vision for a Mars settlement by 2117.

Under the agreement, iSpace said it would also provide the Emirates Lunar Mission with wired communication and power during the cruise phase and wireless communication on the moon.

The&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the major countries which have space programmes.

Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space in 2019 when he flew to the International Space Station. This week the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;selected the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut.

(With input from agencies)

Lunar exploration company iSpace will transport a United Arab Emirates rover to the moon in 2022, the Japanese company said on Wednesday, as the UAE pushes for rapid expansion in the space exploration business to diversify its economy.

Lunar exploration company iSpace will transport a United Arab Emirates rover to the moon in 2022, the Japanese company said on Wednesday, as the UAE pushes for rapid expansion in the space exploration business to diversify its economy. The UAE is using its space programme to develop its scientific and technological capabilities and reduce its reliance on oil. The Gulf state's, and the Arab world's, first interplanetary probe entered Mars' orbit in February. It is now sending data about the Martian atmosphere and climate. The Rashid lunar rover will be designed entirely by Emiratis. The UAE had originally intended to send it into space by 2024. Japanese company iSpace, founded in 2010, aims to provide commercial transportation to the moon with a wider mission to ultimately incorporate the moon into the earth's economy. The 2022 launch will be iSpace's first mission of this kind and will use a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's SpaceX, to be launched from Florida. Dubai's Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) will build the Rashid lunar rover. It will remain on the moon after data collection is completed, said Emirates Lunar Mission manager Hamad al-Marzooqi. The SpaceX rocket will deliver an iSpace lander to the moon's orbit. The lander will propel itself to the moon's surface and the UAE rover will then emerge from the lander and drive off to explore, said iSpace Founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada. The lander will also be carrying a solid-state battery designed by Japanese company NGK Spark Plug to be tested in the lunar environment. The lunar mission is part of the Gulf state's broader vision for a Mars settlement by 2117. Under the agreement, iSpace said it would also provide the Emirates Lunar Mission with wired communication and power during the cruise phase and wireless communication on the moon. The UAE launched a National Space Programme in 2017 to develop local expertise. Its population of 9.4 million, most of whom are foreign workers, lacks the scientific and industrial base of the major countries which have space programmes. Hazza al-Mansouri became the first Emirati in space in 2019 when he flew to the International Space Station. This week the UAE selected the first Arab woman to train as an astronaut. (With input from agencies)

Japanese firm iSpace to send UAE's lunar rover in 2022

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA has released an image of a sea&nbsp;of dark dunes, sculpted by the wind into long lines, surrounds Mars' northern polar cap and covers an area as big as Texas.

In this false-color image, areas with cooler temperatures are recorded in bluer tints, while warmer features are depicted in yellows and oranges. Thus, the dark, sun-warmed dunes glow with a golden color. This image covers an area 19 miles (30 kilometres) wide.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-hubble-telescope-clicks-haunting-image-of-a-dying-galaxy-377173">NASA's Hubble telescope clicks haunting image of a dying galaxy</a>

This scene combines images taken during the period from December 2002 to November 2004 by the Thermal Emission Imaging System instrument on the Mars Odyssey orbiter. It is part of a special set of images marking the 20th anniversary of Odyssey, the longest-working Mars spacecraft in history. The pictured location on Mars is 80.3 degrees north latitude, 172.1 degrees east longitude.

For two decades, the longest-lived spacecraft at the Red Planet has helped locate water ice, assess landing sites, and study the planet’s mysterious moons.

NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft launched 20 years ago on April 7, making it the oldest spacecraft still working at the Red Planet. The orbiter, which takes its name from Arthur C. Clarke’s classic sci-fi novel “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Clarke blessed its use before launch), was sent to map the composition of the Martian surface, providing a window to the past so scientists could piece together how the planet evolved.

But it’s done far more than that, uncovering troves of water ice, serving as a crucial communications link for other spacecraft, and helping to pave the way not just for safer landings but also future astronauts.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA has released an image of a sea of dark dunes, sculpted by the wind into long lines, surrounds Mars' northern polar cap and covers an area as big as Texas.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA has released an image of a sea of dark dunes, sculpted by the wind into long lines, surrounds Mars' northern polar cap and covers an area as big as Texas. In this false-color image, areas with cooler temperatures are recorded in bluer tints, while warmer features are depicted in yellows and oranges. Thus, the dark, sun-warmed dunes glow with a golden color. This image covers an area 19 miles (30 kilometres) wide. Also Read | NASA's Hubble telescope clicks haunting image of a dying galaxy This scene combines images taken during the period from December 2002 to November 2004 by the Thermal Emission Imaging System instrument on the Mars Odyssey orbiter. It is part of a special set of images marking the 20th anniversary of Odyssey, the longest-working Mars spacecraft in history. The pictured location on Mars is 80.3 degrees north latitude, 172.1 degrees east longitude. For two decades, the longest-lived spacecraft at the Red Planet has helped locate water ice, assess landing sites, and study the planet’s mysterious moons. NASA’s 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft launched 20 years ago on April 7, making it the oldest spacecraft still working at the Red Planet. The orbiter, which takes its name from Arthur C. Clarke’s classic sci-fi novel “2001: A Space Odyssey” (Clarke blessed its use before launch), was sent to map the composition of the Martian surface, providing a window to the past so scientists could piece together how the planet evolved. But it’s done far more than that, uncovering troves of water ice, serving as a crucial communications link for other spacecraft, and helping to pave the way not just for safer landings but also future astronauts.

NASA releases stunning image of magical 'sea of dunes' on Mars

NASA has delayed by at least several days the first flight of its mini-helicopter on Mars after a possible tech issue emerged while testing its rotors, the US space agency said Saturday.

Ingenuity's trip, which is to be the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, was set for Sunday but is now on hold until at least April 14.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-insight-lander-detects-two-new-quakes-on-mars-376532">NASA's InSight lander detects two new quakes on Mars</a>

A high-speed test of the four-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter's rotors on Friday ended earlier than expected due to an alert of a potential issue.

"The helicopter team is reviewing telemetry to diagnose and understand the issue," NASA said in a statement. "Following that, they will reschedule the full-speed test."

NASA noted the copter is "safe and healthy" and had sent information back to Earth.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/russias-soyuz-rocket-placed-into-orbit-with-3-astronauts-on-board-376735">Russia's Soyuz rocket placed into orbit with 3 astronauts on board</a>

Initially, the plan for Sunday was to have Ingenuity fly for 30 seconds to take a picture of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars on February 18 with the helicopter attached to its underside.

NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky but says it could reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars. &nbsp;

The flight is a true challenge because the air on Mars is so thin — less than one per cent of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere.&nbsp;

This means Ingenuity must spin its rotor blades much faster than a helicopter needs to do on Earth in order to fly.

After the flight, Ingenuity will send Perseverance technical data on what it has done, and that information will be transmitted back to Earth.&nbsp;

This will include a black and white photo of the Martian surface that Ingenuity is programmed to snap while flying.

A day later, once its batteries have charged up again, Ingenuity is to transmit another photo — in colour, of the Martian horizon, taken with a different camera.

If the flight is a success, NASA plans another no more than four days later. It plans as many as five altogether, each successively more difficult, over the course of a month.

NASA hopes to make the helicopter rise five meters (16 feet) and then move laterally.

The mission is be the equivalent on Mars of the first powered flight on Earth — by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honour of that feat.

NASA has delayed by at least several days the first flight of its mini-helicopter on Mars after a possible tech issue emerged while testing its rotors, the US space agency said Saturday.

NASA has delayed by at least several days the first flight of its mini-helicopter on Mars after a possible tech issue emerged while testing its rotors, the US space agency said Saturday. Ingenuity's trip, which is to be the first-ever powered, controlled flight on another planet, was set for Sunday but is now on hold until at least April 14. Also read | NASA's InSight lander detects two new quakes on Mars A high-speed test of the four-pound (1.8 kilogram) helicopter's rotors on Friday ended earlier than expected due to an alert of a potential issue. "The helicopter team is reviewing telemetry to diagnose and understand the issue," NASA said in a statement. "Following that, they will reschedule the full-speed test." NASA noted the copter is "safe and healthy" and had sent information back to Earth. Also read | Russia's Soyuz rocket placed into orbit with 3 astronauts on board Initially, the plan for Sunday was to have Ingenuity fly for 30 seconds to take a picture of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars on February 18 with the helicopter attached to its underside. NASA calls the unprecedented helicopter operation highly risky but says it could reap invaluable data about the conditions on Mars. The flight is a true challenge because the air on Mars is so thin — less than one per cent of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. This means Ingenuity must spin its rotor blades much faster than a helicopter needs to do on Earth in order to fly. After the flight, Ingenuity will send Perseverance technical data on what it has done, and that information will be transmitted back to Earth. This will include a black and white photo of the Martian surface that Ingenuity is programmed to snap while flying. A day later, once its batteries have charged up again, Ingenuity is to transmit another photo — in colour, of the Martian horizon, taken with a different camera. If the flight is a success, NASA plans another no more than four days later. It plans as many as five altogether, each successively more difficult, over the course of a month. NASA hopes to make the helicopter rise five meters (16 feet) and then move laterally. The mission is be the equivalent on Mars of the first powered flight on Earth — by the Wright brothers in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. A piece of fabric from that plane has been tucked inside Ingenuity in honour of that feat.

NASA delays Mars copter flight for tech check

NASA’s InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world,&nbsp;has detected two sizable quakes on Mars.

NASA is investigating the ''Marsquakes'' of 3.3 and 3.1 temblors in a region called Cerebrus Fossae on the red planet, further supporting this notion that this location is seismically active.

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In the last several weeks, listening for the heartbeat of Mars has revealed two strong, clear quakes from a region where I've felt them before: Cerberus Fossae. These two were magnitude 3.3 and 3.1. So far, I’ve recorded more than 500 marsquakes. 
 
Read: <a href="https://t.co/WKGCVQ1Ro9">https://t.co/WKGCVQ1Ro9</a> <a href="https://t.co/K0FC7r3ATz">pic.twitter.com/K0FC7r3ATz</a>
— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAInSight/status/1377648175918444552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2021</a></blockquote>
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InSight has recorded over 500 earthquakes to date, but because of their clear signals, these are the four best quake records for probing the interior of the planet. 
 
Watch: NASA detects two strong quakes on Mars

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''Over the course of the mission, we’ve seen two different types of marsquakes: one that is more ‘Moon-like’ and the other, more ‘Earth-like,'' said&nbsp;Taichi Kawamura of France Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris which helped provide InSight's seismometer. All of the above quakes fell into the prior category.

“The reason why we’re digging into Mars is to better understand not just Mars, but the Earth itself,” said JPL’s Bruce Banerdt, InSight’s principal investigator.

A central question is why Mars, once a relatively warm, wet planet, evolved so differently from Earth into a mostly dry, desolate and cold world, devoid of life.

The answers are believed to have something to do with the as-yet unexplained absence, since Mars’ ancient past, of either a magnetic field or tectonic activity, said NASA’s chief scientist James Green.

While Earth’s tectonics and other forces have erased most evidence of its early history, much of Mars - about one-third the size of Earth - has seemingly remained largely static, creating a geologic time machine for scientists, Green said.

Daredevil landing

InSight’s primary instrument is a French-built seismometer, designed to record the slightest vibrations from “marsquakes” and meteor impacts around the planet. The device, to be placed on the surface by the lander’s robot arm, is so sensitive it can measure a seismic wave just one-half the radius of a hydrogen atom.

John Clinton, a&nbsp;seismologist who InSights Marsquake Service at ETH Zurich said, “It’s wonderful to once again observe marsquakes after a long period of recording wind noise.”

InSight was the eighth spacecraft to have landed successfully on Mars, all of them operated by NASA.

The three-legged lander streaked into the thin Martian atmosphere at 12,300 miles (19,795 km) per hour and plunged 77 miles to the surface within seven minutes, slowed to a gentle touchdown by atmospheric friction, a giant parachute and retro rockets.

The stationary probe was programmed to pause for 16 minutes for the dust to settle, literally, around its landing site, before two disc-shaped solar panels were to be unfurled like wings to provide power to the spacecraft. But scientists did not expect to verify successful deployment of the solar arrays for at least several hours.

The 880-pound (360 kg) InSight - its name is short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport,&nbsp;marks the 21st US-launched Mars mission, dating back to the Mariner fly-bys of the 1960s.

Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been sent from other nations.

NASA’s InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, has detected two sizable quakes on Mars. NASA is investigating the ''Marsquakes'' of 3.

NASA’s InSight spacecraft, the first robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of a distant world, has detected two sizable quakes on Mars. NASA is investigating the ''Marsquakes'' of 3.3 and 3.1 temblors in a region called Cerebrus Fossae on the red planet, further supporting this notion that this location is seismically active. In the last several weeks, listening for the heartbeat of Mars has revealed two strong, clear quakes from a region where I've felt them before: Cerberus Fossae. These two were magnitude 3.3 and 3.1. So far, I’ve recorded more than 500 marsquakes. Read: https://t.co/WKGCVQ1Ro9 pic.twitter.com/K0FC7r3ATz — NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) April 1, 2021 × InSight has recorded over 500 earthquakes to date, but because of their clear signals, these are the four best quake records for probing the interior of the planet. Watch: NASA detects two strong quakes on Mars ''Over the course of the mission, we’ve seen two different types of marsquakes: one that is more ‘Moon-like’ and the other, more ‘Earth-like,'' said Taichi Kawamura of France Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris which helped provide InSight's seismometer. All of the above quakes fell into the prior category. “The reason why we’re digging into Mars is to better understand not just Mars, but the Earth itself,” said JPL’s Bruce Banerdt, InSight’s principal investigator. A central question is why Mars, once a relatively warm, wet planet, evolved so differently from Earth into a mostly dry, desolate and cold world, devoid of life. The answers are believed to have something to do with the as-yet unexplained absence, since Mars’ ancient past, of either a magnetic field or tectonic activity, said NASA’s chief scientist James Green. While Earth’s tectonics and other forces have erased most evidence of its early history, much of Mars - about one-third the size of Earth - has seemingly remained largely static, creating a geologic time machine for scientists, Green said. Daredevil landing InSight’s primary instrument is a French-built seismometer, designed to record the slightest vibrations from “marsquakes” and meteor impacts around the planet. The device, to be placed on the surface by the lander’s robot arm, is so sensitive it can measure a seismic wave just one-half the radius of a hydrogen atom. John Clinton, a seismologist who InSights Marsquake Service at ETH Zurich said, “It’s wonderful to once again observe marsquakes after a long period of recording wind noise.” InSight was the eighth spacecraft to have landed successfully on Mars, all of them operated by NASA. The three-legged lander streaked into the thin Martian atmosphere at 12,300 miles (19,795 km) per hour and plunged 77 miles to the surface within seven minutes, slowed to a gentle touchdown by atmospheric friction, a giant parachute and retro rockets. The stationary probe was programmed to pause for 16 minutes for the dust to settle, literally, around its landing site, before two disc-shaped solar panels were to be unfurled like wings to provide power to the spacecraft. But scientists did not expect to verify successful deployment of the solar arrays for at least several hours. The 880-pound (360 kg) InSight - its name is short for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, marks the 21st US-launched Mars mission, dating back to the Mariner fly-bys of the 1960s. Nearly two dozen other Mars missions have been sent from other nations.

NASA's InSight lander detects two new quakes on Mars

We all know about Earthquakes. But have you heard about 'Marsquakes'? NASA has detected two strong quakes on Mars.

Gravitas: NASA detects two strong quakes on Mars

From Moon to Mars: Milestones in space exploration

It has not been long since it landed in Mars, but NASA's rover Perseverance is making its presence felt in the Red Planet by sharing never-seen-before images.

And now it's selfie time for Perseverance as it shared its own photograph on Mars on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The US space agency said that the image was captured using a camera called WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering), part of the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument.&nbsp;

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Two bots, one selfie. Greetings from Jezero Crater, where I’ve taken my first selfie of the mission. I’m also watching the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarsHelicopter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MarsHelicopter</a> Ingenuity as it gets ready for its first flight in a few days. Daring mighty things indeed. 
 
Images: <a href="https://t.co/owLX2LaK52">https://t.co/owLX2LaK52</a> <a href="https://t.co/rTxDNK69rs">pic.twitter.com/rTxDNK69rs</a>
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1379883959006363648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Helicopter Ingenuity was also seen in the image which is a combination of 62 individual photographs clicked while the rover was alternatively looking at the helicopter and at the WATSON camera.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the predecessor of Perseverance, nicknamed Percy, Curiosity doesn't want to stay behind and is sending selfies of its own.&nbsp;

Curiosity took a panoramic image of itself and the surrounding landscape on March 26, which also showed a rocky outcrop known as Mont Mercou.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/did-nasas-perseverance-rover-just-capture-a-rainbow-on-mars-image-inside-375618">Did NASA's Perseverance rover just capture a 'rainbow' on Mars? Image inside!</a>

From the image, it can be seen severe dust accumulated as the rover is on Mars for eight and a half years.&nbsp;

Curiosity and Perseverance are powered by the radioactive decay of plutonium, which can keep them running amid raging dust storms in the Red Planet.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It has not been long since it landed in Mars, but NASA's rover Perseverance is making its presence felt in the Red Planet by sharing never-seen-before images. And now it's selfie time for Perseverance as it shared its own photograph on Mars on Tuesday.

It has not been long since it landed in Mars, but NASA's rover Perseverance is making its presence felt in the Red Planet by sharing never-seen-before images. And now it's selfie time for Perseverance as it shared its own photograph on Mars on Tuesday. The US space agency said that the image was captured using a camera called WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering), part of the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument. Two bots, one selfie. Greetings from Jezero Crater, where I’ve taken my first selfie of the mission. I’m also watching the #MarsHelicopter Ingenuity as it gets ready for its first flight in a few days. Daring mighty things indeed. Images: https://t.co/owLX2LaK52 pic.twitter.com/rTxDNK69rs — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 7, 2021 × Helicopter Ingenuity was also seen in the image which is a combination of 62 individual photographs clicked while the rover was alternatively looking at the helicopter and at the WATSON camera. Meanwhile, the predecessor of Perseverance, nicknamed Percy, Curiosity doesn't want to stay behind and is sending selfies of its own. Curiosity took a panoramic image of itself and the surrounding landscape on March 26, which also showed a rocky outcrop known as Mont Mercou. Also read | Did NASA's Perseverance rover just capture a 'rainbow' on Mars? Image inside! From the image, it can be seen severe dust accumulated as the rover is on Mars for eight and a half years. Curiosity and Perseverance are powered by the radioactive decay of plutonium, which can keep them running amid raging dust storms in the Red Planet.

'Say Cheese' time for Perseverance as Mars rover sends stunning selfie with helicopter

Rainbows are pretty common on Earth, but our celestial neighbour Mars recently witnessed a “rainbow” of its own, unlike anything we have ever seen.&nbsp;

A prerequisite for rainbows is naturally rain and sunlight on Earth. Mars, on the other hand, has a much drier atmosphere.

<h6><img alt="rainbow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2fe53a2e-094e-48f6-855f-e4f0228f8788" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/oof%20%281%29_0.jpg" /> 
Image courtesy:&nbsp;NASA/JPL-Caltech</h6>

NASA’s Perseverance rover continues to offer riveting insight into life on the Red Planet, and its Hazard Avoidance Camera has now clicked an image of what appears to be a “rainbow”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/an-astronomer-has-created-video-on-saturns-spinning-rings-375558" hreflang="en">An astronomer has created video on Saturn's spinning rings</a>

But Mars does not get enough rain to sustain rainbows, so it qualifies more as a “dustbow”. Scientists across the world prefer the term, as&nbsp;the "dustbow" was caused by dust instead of water droplets.

But it is entirely possible that there was no “bow” at all, that it showed up on the camera as a result of a lens flare, whereby rays of light enter the camera and scatter light across the lens.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/an-exploding-star-may-have-killed-life-on-earth-millions-of-years-ago-375348" hreflang="en">An exploding star may have killed life on Earth millions of years ago</a>

Even though “dustbows” may be new for all of us, Mars is no stranger to “icebows”, as put forward by NASA during an ask-me-anything session in 2015.

“Icebows” on Mars were first observed in 1990s during the Pathfinder mission. The aircraft photographed clouds above the Martian sky, which they thought was caused by ice particles.

Rainbows are pretty common on Earth, but our celestial neighbour Mars recently witnessed a “rainbow” of its own, unlike anything we have ever seen. A prerequisite for rainbows is naturally rain and sunlight on Earth.

Rainbows are pretty common on Earth, but our celestial neighbour Mars recently witnessed a “rainbow” of its own, unlike anything we have ever seen. A prerequisite for rainbows is naturally rain and sunlight on Earth. Mars, on the other hand, has a much drier atmosphere. Image courtesy: NASA/JPL-Caltech NASA’s Perseverance rover continues to offer riveting insight into life on the Red Planet, and its Hazard Avoidance Camera has now clicked an image of what appears to be a “rainbow”. Also read: An astronomer has created video on Saturn's spinning rings But Mars does not get enough rain to sustain rainbows, so it qualifies more as a “dustbow”. Scientists across the world prefer the term, as the "dustbow" was caused by dust instead of water droplets. But it is entirely possible that there was no “bow” at all, that it showed up on the camera as a result of a lens flare, whereby rays of light enter the camera and scatter light across the lens. Also read: An exploding star may have killed life on Earth millions of years ago Even though “dustbows” may be new for all of us, Mars is no stranger to “icebows”, as put forward by NASA during an ask-me-anything session in 2015. “Icebows” on Mars were first observed in 1990s during the Pathfinder mission. The aircraft photographed clouds above the Martian sky, which they thought was caused by ice particles.

Did NASA's Perseverance rover just capture a 'rainbow' on Mars? Image inside!

The team of scientists and engineers behind NASA’s Curiosity rover has named a hill along the rover’s path on Mars in honour of recently deceased mission scientist Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez.

A craggy hump that stretches 120 meters tall, ‘Rafael Navarro Mountain’ is located on Mount Sharp in northwest Gale Crater, NASA said on Monday.

Navarro-Gonzalez died on January 28 from complications related to Covid-19.&nbsp;

A leading astrobiologist in Mexico, he was a co-investigator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), a portable chemistry lab aboard Curiosity that has been sniffing out the chemical makeup of Martian soil, rocks, and air.&nbsp;

As such, he helped lead the team that identified ancient organic compounds on Mars; his many accomplishments also included identifying the role of volcanic lightning in the origin of life on Earth.&nbsp;

Navarro-Gonzalez was a researcher at Nuclear Sciences Institute at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City.

"We are truly honoured to have a prominent hill named after our dad; it’s his and our dream come true to see this happen," wrote Navarro-Gonzalez’s children, Rafael and Karina Navarro Aceves, in a statement to NASA.&nbsp;

Rafael Navarro Mountain sits at a major geological transition in Gale Crater from a clay-rich region to one that is rich in sulfate minerals.&nbsp;

Analysing sulfate minerals may help scientists better understand the major shift in the Martian climate from wetter to drier conditions, according to Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The team of scientists and engineers behind NASA’s Curiosity rover has named a hill along the rover’s path on Mars in honour of recently deceased mission scientist Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez.

The team of scientists and engineers behind NASA’s Curiosity rover has named a hill along the rover’s path on Mars in honour of recently deceased mission scientist Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez. A craggy hump that stretches 120 meters tall, ‘Rafael Navarro Mountain’ is located on Mount Sharp in northwest Gale Crater, NASA said on Monday. Navarro-Gonzalez died on January 28 from complications related to Covid-19. A leading astrobiologist in Mexico, he was a co-investigator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), a portable chemistry lab aboard Curiosity that has been sniffing out the chemical makeup of Martian soil, rocks, and air. As such, he helped lead the team that identified ancient organic compounds on Mars; his many accomplishments also included identifying the role of volcanic lightning in the origin of life on Earth. Navarro-Gonzalez was a researcher at Nuclear Sciences Institute at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. "We are truly honoured to have a prominent hill named after our dad; it’s his and our dream come true to see this happen," wrote Navarro-Gonzalez’s children, Rafael and Karina Navarro Aceves, in a statement to NASA. Rafael Navarro Mountain sits at a major geological transition in Gale Crater from a clay-rich region to one that is rich in sulfate minerals. Analysing sulfate minerals may help scientists better understand the major shift in the Martian climate from wetter to drier conditions, according to Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s Curiosity rover team names Martian hill after deceased scientist

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity has been dropped on the surface of the Red Planet ahead of its historic first flight scheduled for April 11.

Ingenuity flew to Mars while being attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which made a February 18 touch down on the Red Planet.

"#MarsHelicopter touchdown confirmed! Its 293 million mile (471 million km) journey aboard @NASAPersevere ended with the final drop of 4 inches (10 cm) from the rover’s belly to the surface of Mars today," NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, tweeted late on Saturday.

"Next milestone? Survive the night."

The US space agency last week announced the decision to push back the date of the first attempt to fly the helicopter on Mars from April 8 to 11.

Flying in a controlled manner on Mars is far more difficult than flying on Earth.

The Red Planet has significant gravity (about one-third that of Earth’s), but its atmosphere is just 1 per cent as dense as Earth’s at the surface.

During Martian daytime, the planet’s surface receives only about half the amount of solar energy that reaches Earth during its daytime, and nighttime temperatures can drop as low as minus 90 degrees Celsius, which can freeze and crack unprotected electrical components.

To fit within the available accommodations provided by the Perseverance rover, the Ingenuity helicopter must be small.

To fly in the Mars environment, it must be lightweight. To survive the frigid Martian nights, it must have enough energy to power internal heaters.

The system, from the performance of its rotors in rarified air to its solar panels, electrical heaters, and other components, has been tested and retested in the vacuum chambers and test labs of NASA’s JPL in Southern California.

(With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity has been dropped on the surface of the Red Planet ahead of its historic first flight scheduled for April 11. Ingenuity flew to Mars while being attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which made a February 18 touch down on the Red Planet.

NASA’s Mars helicopter Ingenuity has been dropped on the surface of the Red Planet ahead of its historic first flight scheduled for April 11. Ingenuity flew to Mars while being attached to the belly of NASA’s Perseverance rover, which made a February 18 touch down on the Red Planet. "#MarsHelicopter touchdown confirmed! Its 293 million mile (471 million km) journey aboard @NASAPersevere ended with the final drop of 4 inches (10 cm) from the rover’s belly to the surface of Mars today," NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, tweeted late on Saturday. "Next milestone? Survive the night." The US space agency last week announced the decision to push back the date of the first attempt to fly the helicopter on Mars from April 8 to 11. Flying in a controlled manner on Mars is far more difficult than flying on Earth. The Red Planet has significant gravity (about one-third that of Earth’s), but its atmosphere is just 1 per cent as dense as Earth’s at the surface. During Martian daytime, the planet’s surface receives only about half the amount of solar energy that reaches Earth during its daytime, and nighttime temperatures can drop as low as minus 90 degrees Celsius, which can freeze and crack unprotected electrical components. To fit within the available accommodations provided by the Perseverance rover, the Ingenuity helicopter must be small. To fly in the Mars environment, it must be lightweight. To survive the frigid Martian nights, it must have enough energy to power internal heaters. The system, from the performance of its rotors in rarified air to its solar panels, electrical heaters, and other components, has been tested and retested in the vacuum chambers and test labs of NASA’s JPL in Southern California. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter touches down on Mars’ surface

Astronomers have discovered a previously&nbsp;unknown ancient crater lake on Mars, in a recent study.

In a study published in Planetary Science Journal, a team led by researchers from Brown University in the US describe an as-yet to be unnamed crater with some puzzling characteristics. 
 
The crater's floor has unmistakable geologic evidence of ancient stream beds and ponds, yet there's no evidence of inlet channels where water could have entered the crater from outside, and no evidence of groundwater activity where it could have bubbled up from below.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mars-glaciers-give-insights-on-the-planets-many-ice-ages-358330">Mars' glaciers give insights on the planet's many ice ages</a>

The researchers conclude that the system was likely fed by runoff from a long-lost Martian glacier. 
 
Water flowed into the crater atop the glacier, which meant it did not leave behind a valley as it would have had it flowed directly on the ground. 
 
The water eventually emptied into the low-lying crater floor, where it left its geological mark on the bare Martian soil. 
 
The type of lake described in this study differs starkly from other Martian crater lakes, like those at Gale and Jezero craters where NASA rovers are currently exploring. 
 
"This is a previously unrecognized type of hydrological system on Mars," said Ben Boatwright, PhD student at Brown University. 
 
"In lake systems characterised so far, we see evidence of drainage coming from outside the crater, breaching the crater wall and in some cases flowing out the other side. But that`s not what is happening here. Everything is happening inside the crater, and that`s very different than what`s been characterised before." 
 
Importantly, Boatwright said, the crater provides key clues about the early climate of Mars. There`s little doubt that the Martian climate was once warmer and wetter than the frozen desert the planet is today. 
 
What`s less clear, however, is whether Mars had an Earthlike climate with continually flowing water for millennia, or whether it was mostly cold and icy with fleeting periods of warmth and melting. 
 
Climate simulations for early Mars suggest temperatures rarely peaking above freezing, but geological evidence for cold and icy conditions has been sparse, Boatwright said. This new evidence of ancient glaciation could change that. 
 
"The cold and icy scenario has been largely theoretical -- something that arises from climate models," Boatwright said. 
 
"But the evidence for glaciation we see here helps to bridge the gap between theory and observation. I think that's really the big takeaway here." 
 
Boatwright was able to map out the details of the crater`s lake system using high-resolution images taken by NASA`s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Astronomers have discovered a previously unknown ancient crater lake on Mars, in a recent study. In a study published in Planetary Science Journal, a team led by researchers from Brown University in the US describe an as-yet to be unnamed crater with some puzzling characteristics.

Astronomers have discovered a previously unknown ancient crater lake on Mars, in a recent study. In a study published in Planetary Science Journal, a team led by researchers from Brown University in the US describe an as-yet to be unnamed crater with some puzzling characteristics. The crater's floor has unmistakable geologic evidence of ancient stream beds and ponds, yet there's no evidence of inlet channels where water could have entered the crater from outside, and no evidence of groundwater activity where it could have bubbled up from below. Also read| Mars' glaciers give insights on the planet's many ice ages The researchers conclude that the system was likely fed by runoff from a long-lost Martian glacier. Water flowed into the crater atop the glacier, which meant it did not leave behind a valley as it would have had it flowed directly on the ground. The water eventually emptied into the low-lying crater floor, where it left its geological mark on the bare Martian soil. The type of lake described in this study differs starkly from other Martian crater lakes, like those at Gale and Jezero craters where NASA rovers are currently exploring. "This is a previously unrecognized type of hydrological system on Mars," said Ben Boatwright, PhD student at Brown University. "In lake systems characterised so far, we see evidence of drainage coming from outside the crater, breaching the crater wall and in some cases flowing out the other side. But that`s not what is happening here. Everything is happening inside the crater, and that`s very different than what`s been characterised before." Importantly, Boatwright said, the crater provides key clues about the early climate of Mars. There`s little doubt that the Martian climate was once warmer and wetter than the frozen desert the planet is today. What`s less clear, however, is whether Mars had an Earthlike climate with continually flowing water for millennia, or whether it was mostly cold and icy with fleeting periods of warmth and melting. Climate simulations for early Mars suggest temperatures rarely peaking above freezing, but geological evidence for cold and icy conditions has been sparse, Boatwright said. This new evidence of ancient glaciation could change that. "The cold and icy scenario has been largely theoretical -- something that arises from climate models," Boatwright said. "But the evidence for glaciation we see here helps to bridge the gap between theory and observation. I think that's really the big takeaway here." Boatwright was able to map out the details of the crater`s lake system using high-resolution images taken by NASA`s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Astronomers discover previously unknown ancient crater lake on Mars

Images from Mars are aplenty these days. And it's not a surprise as NASA has landed a Perseverance rover on the surface of the Red Planet. But NASA has more eyes on Mars. In addition to 'boots on ground', so to speak, NASA's 'Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter' (MRO) is currently in orbit around Mars.

The MRO has sent a brilliant image of Mars's frosty dunes. NASA has posted the picture on Instagram.

"...Our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) beamed back another striking image taken on the Red Planet captured by our powerful HiRISE camera, this time showing the stunning image of frosty sand dunes. The field of sand dunes occupies a crater that stretches for 5 kilometers, found in the high-latitudes of Mars’ northern plains. The stripes and other features are the result of sublimated ice that comes with the ‘seasonal thaw." says NASA in its Instagram post. The post is heading fast towards 1 million likes.

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The image has been clicked by the MRO using HiRise, a camera it has on board.&nbsp;

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter keeps an eye on Mars' geology and climate. It provides valuable information that can come in handy to decide about future landings on Mars. MRO was launched in the year 2006 and was placed in orbit around Mars in 2015.

Images from Mars are aplenty these days. And it's not a surprise as NASA has landed a Perseverance rover on the surface of the Red Planet. But NASA has more eyes on Mars.

Images from Mars are aplenty these days. And it's not a surprise as NASA has landed a Perseverance rover on the surface of the Red Planet. But NASA has more eyes on Mars. In addition to 'boots on ground', so to speak, NASA's 'Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter' (MRO) is currently in orbit around Mars. The MRO has sent a brilliant image of Mars's frosty dunes. NASA has posted the picture on Instagram. "...Our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) beamed back another striking image taken on the Red Planet captured by our powerful HiRISE camera, this time showing the stunning image of frosty sand dunes. The field of sand dunes occupies a crater that stretches for 5 kilometers, found in the high-latitudes of Mars’ northern plains. The stripes and other features are the result of sublimated ice that comes with the ‘seasonal thaw." says NASA in its Instagram post. The post is heading fast towards 1 million likes. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × The image has been clicked by the MRO using HiRise, a camera it has on board. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter keeps an eye on Mars' geology and climate. It provides valuable information that can come in handy to decide about future landings on Mars. MRO was launched in the year 2006 and was placed in orbit around Mars in 2015.

NASA posts brilliant image of frosty sand dunes on Mars

While the world has been riveted by the escapades of NASA's Perseverance&nbsp;Mars&nbsp;rover, a group of Swiss primary school children has been eagerly preparing their own mission to the red planet.

Some of Switzerland's top space experts, including the country's only astronaut, Claude Nicollier, evaluated the detailed mission plan the children had developed over nine months. They were given the all-clear for lift-off on March 8.

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The children "exploded with joy" when they heard, their teacher at the Vivalys private school near Lausanne, Sebastien Roussel, said.

"It was like watching the NASA engineers' ecstatic reaction when Perseverance touched down."

Their destination? A Mars space station conveniently situated a bus-ride away in a secluded wooded area on the outskirts of Lausanne in western Switzerland.

Here, the 16 eight- and nine-year-olds will spend three days carrying out experiments similar to some conducted by actual astronauts, including attempting to grow plants to sustain them on the long journey.

And while the idyllic, snow-sprinkled surroundings are far less hostile than the windswept, dusty surface of Mars, the children wear suits and helmets whenever they step outside.

In a bid to simulate a true space mission, all the children's meals consist of freeze-dried space food. Initial plans for them to sleep on site were meanwhile scrapped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the months of preparation, the children participated in workshops on astronomy and rocket engineering hosted by students at the neighbouring EPFL -- among the most prestigious technical universities in Europe.

The mission required them to use mathematics to calculate the distance to Mars, and they have also sharpened their language skills, learning how to spell the names of the planets.

The first experiment the team embarks upon after arriving at the space station is launching home-made paper rockets into space.

Perseverance's images from Mars have also left some children eager to see humans walk on the red planet.

While the world has been riveted by the escapades of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, a group of Swiss primary school children has been eagerly preparing their own mission to the red planet.

While the world has been riveted by the escapades of NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, a group of Swiss primary school children has been eagerly preparing their own mission to the red planet. Some of Switzerland's top space experts, including the country's only astronaut, Claude Nicollier, evaluated the detailed mission plan the children had developed over nine months. They were given the all-clear for lift-off on March 8. The children "exploded with joy" when they heard, their teacher at the Vivalys private school near Lausanne, Sebastien Roussel, said. "It was like watching the NASA engineers' ecstatic reaction when Perseverance touched down." Their destination? A Mars space station conveniently situated a bus-ride away in a secluded wooded area on the outskirts of Lausanne in western Switzerland. Here, the 16 eight- and nine-year-olds will spend three days carrying out experiments similar to some conducted by actual astronauts, including attempting to grow plants to sustain them on the long journey. And while the idyllic, snow-sprinkled surroundings are far less hostile than the windswept, dusty surface of Mars, the children wear suits and helmets whenever they step outside. In a bid to simulate a true space mission, all the children's meals consist of freeze-dried space food. Initial plans for them to sleep on site were meanwhile scrapped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the months of preparation, the children participated in workshops on astronomy and rocket engineering hosted by students at the neighbouring EPFL -- among the most prestigious technical universities in Europe. The mission required them to use mathematics to calculate the distance to Mars, and they have also sharpened their language skills, learning how to spell the names of the planets. The first experiment the team embarks upon after arriving at the space station is launching home-made paper rockets into space. Perseverance's images from Mars have also left some children eager to see humans walk on the red planet.

Students of Swiss primary school preparing for their mission to Mars

NASA is targeting early April for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to make the first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet, the space agency said Tuesday.

Right now, the ultra-light aircraft remains fixed to the belly of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on the Red Planet on February 18.

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On Sunday, Perseverance dropped the debris shield that had protected Ingenuity during landing and is currently making its way to the "airfield" where Ingenuity will attempt its flights.

Once there, it will have 30 Martian sols -- equal to 31 Earth days -- to carry out its mission.&nbsp;

"The best guess we have right now is April 8," for the first flight, said Bob Balaram, Mars Helicopter chief engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, though he added it could be sooner or later by a few days.

Balaram revealed for the first time that Ingenuity is carrying a small piece of cloth that covered one of the wings of the Wright brothers' first aircraft that achieved the first powered flight on Earth at Kitty Hawk in 1903, to pay tribute to the milestone.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/perseverance-searches-for-life-on-mars-369682/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Ingenuity will be attempting to fly in an atmosphere that is one per cent the density of Earth's, which makes achieving lift harder -- but will be assisted by gravity that is one-third our planet's.

The first flight will involve&nbsp;climbing at a rate of about three feet (one meter) per second to a height of 10 feet (three meters), hovering there for 30 seconds, then descending back to the surface.

Ingenuity will be taking high-resolution photography as it flies.

Before any of this happens, however, Ingenuity needs to be placed at its launching site, and set upright, a process that will take a few more days.

Once Perseverance drops off the helicopter, it needs to drive away about five meters within 25 hours so it doesn't cast a shadow on Ingenuity.&nbsp;

That's the number of time Ingenuity's batteries will be able to run a heater without needing to recharge via its solar panels.

This part is critical to surviving the night time temperatures which can plunge as low as minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius).

If left unheated, the helicopter's unshielded electrical components will freeze and crack, killing the mission before it even begins.

If things however go to plan, Perseverance will take up a position at a distance to record Ingenuity's exploits with its own cameras.

Up to five flights of gradual difficulty are planned over the course of the month.

The four-pound (1.8-kilogram) rotorcraft cost NASA around $85 million to develop and is considered a proof of concept that could revolutionize&nbsp;space exploration.

Future aircraft could cover ground much more quickly than rovers, and explore more rugged terrain.

The next one planned is Dragonfly, a rotorcraft-lander that&nbsp;will launch in 2026 and arrive at Saturn's icy moon Titan in 2034.

NASA is targeting early April for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to make the first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet, the space agency said Tuesday.

NASA is targeting early April for the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to make the first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet, the space agency said Tuesday. Right now, the ultra-light aircraft remains fixed to the belly of the Perseverance rover, which touched down on the Red Planet on February 18. Also read| Astronomers capture polarised light swirling around black hole's magnetic fields On Sunday, Perseverance dropped the debris shield that had protected Ingenuity during landing and is currently making its way to the "airfield" where Ingenuity will attempt its flights. Once there, it will have 30 Martian sols -- equal to 31 Earth days -- to carry out its mission. "The best guess we have right now is April 8," for the first flight, said Bob Balaram, Mars Helicopter chief engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, though he added it could be sooner or later by a few days. Balaram revealed for the first time that Ingenuity is carrying a small piece of cloth that covered one of the wings of the Wright brothers' first aircraft that achieved the first powered flight on Earth at Kitty Hawk in 1903, to pay tribute to the milestone. Ingenuity will be attempting to fly in an atmosphere that is one per cent the density of Earth's, which makes achieving lift harder -- but will be assisted by gravity that is one-third our planet's. The first flight will involve climbing at a rate of about three feet (one meter) per second to a height of 10 feet (three meters), hovering there for 30 seconds, then descending back to the surface. Ingenuity will be taking high-resolution photography as it flies. Before any of this happens, however, Ingenuity needs to be placed at its launching site, and set upright, a process that will take a few more days. Once Perseverance drops off the helicopter, it needs to drive away about five meters within 25 hours so it doesn't cast a shadow on Ingenuity. That's the number of time Ingenuity's batteries will be able to run a heater without needing to recharge via its solar panels. This part is critical to surviving the night time temperatures which can plunge as low as minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 90 degrees Celsius). If left unheated, the helicopter's unshielded electrical components will freeze and crack, killing the mission before it even begins. If things however go to plan, Perseverance will take up a position at a distance to record Ingenuity's exploits with its own cameras. Up to five flights of gradual difficulty are planned over the course of the month. The four-pound (1.8-kilogram) rotorcraft cost NASA around $85 million to develop and is considered a proof of concept that could revolutionize space exploration. Future aircraft could cover ground much more quickly than rovers, and explore more rugged terrain. The next one planned is Dragonfly, a rotorcraft-lander that will launch in 2026 and arrive at Saturn's icy moon Titan in 2034.

First flight of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter to take place in early April

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has sent back first-ever sounds of driving on the Martian surface.

The 16-minute raw audio released by Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California on Wednesday is from Persevarance's six metal wheels and suspension on its first test drive two weeks ago.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nasas-astrobiology-rover-perseverance-makes-historic-mars-landing-365101/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"If I heard these sounds driving my car, I'd pull over and call for a tow," Dave Gruel, an engineer on the rover team, said.&nbsp;

"But if you take a minute to consider what you're hearing and where it was recorded, it makes perfect sense," he further added in a written statement.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-discovers-three-microbes-that-may-help-grow-plants-on-mars-370933">NASA discovers three microbes that may help grow plants on Mars</a>

Perseverance, the biggest and most advanced rover ever sent to Mars landed near an ancient river delta on February 18 to discover the origins of past life.&nbsp;

Samples will be collected from the Red Planet's most promising rocks for eventual return to Earth for analysis.

The rover is embedded with two microphones and one has already has captured the sounds of wind and rock-zapping lasers.

The other microphone was intended to record the descent and landing.&nbsp;

This second mike failed to record the rover's arrival at Mars but was able to record the sounds of first test drive on March 4. 
&nbsp;

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has sent back first-ever sounds of driving on the Martian surface. The 16-minute raw audio released by Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California on Wednesday is from Persevarance's six metal wheels and suspension on its first test drive two weeks ago.

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance has sent back first-ever sounds of driving on the Martian surface. The 16-minute raw audio released by Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California on Wednesday is from Persevarance's six metal wheels and suspension on its first test drive two weeks ago. Watch | "If I heard these sounds driving my car, I'd pull over and call for a tow," Dave Gruel, an engineer on the rover team, said. "But if you take a minute to consider what you're hearing and where it was recorded, it makes perfect sense," he further added in a written statement. Also read | NASA discovers three microbes that may help grow plants on Mars Perseverance, the biggest and most advanced rover ever sent to Mars landed near an ancient river delta on February 18 to discover the origins of past life. Samples will be collected from the Red Planet's most promising rocks for eventual return to Earth for analysis. The rover is embedded with two microphones and one has already has captured the sounds of wind and rock-zapping lasers. The other microphone was intended to record the descent and landing. This second mike failed to record the rover's arrival at Mars but was able to record the sounds of first test drive on March 4.

What is the sound of driving on Mars? NASA's probe finds

The&nbsp;National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered three bacterial strains at the International Space Station that may&nbsp;help grow plants on Mars.

In order to withstand the rigours of space on deep-space missions, food grown outside of Earth needs a little extra help from bacteria.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/breakthrough-first-plant-transplant-takes-place-in-international-space-station-360217">'Breakthrough': First plant transplant takes place in International Space Station</a>

The recent discovery aboard the International Space Station (ISS) can help researchers create the 'fuel' to help plants withstand such stressful situations.

The findings published in the&nbsp;Frontiers in Microbiology described the discovery&nbsp;of bacteria belonging to the family Methylobacteriaceae from different locations aboard the ISS across two consecutive flights.

While 1 strain was identified as Methylorubrum rhodesianum, the other 3 were previously undiscovered and belong to a novel species novel. The rod-shaped, motile bacteria were given the designations IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5 with genetic analysis showing them to be closely related to Methylobacterium indicum.

Methylobacterium species are involved in nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, abiotic stress tolerance, plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity against plant pathogens.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/perseverance-searches-for-life-on-mars-369682/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Potential for Mars missions

Now, in honor of the renowned Indian biodiversity scientists Dr Ajmal Khan, the team has proposed to call the novel species Methylobacterium ajmalii.

Commenting on the discovery, Dr Kasthuri Venkateswaran (Venkat) and Dr Nitin Kumar Singh of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, (JPL), says that the strains might possess " biotechnologically useful genetic determinants" for the growing of crops in space.

However, further experimental biology is needed to prove that it is, indeed, a potential game-changer for space farming.

"To grow plants in extreme places where resources are minimal, isolation of novel microbes that help to promote plant growth under stressful conditions is essential," they said.

Along with JPL, other researchers collaborating on this discovery are based at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Cornell University and the University of Hyderabad in India.

With NASA one day looking to take humans to the surface of Mars - and potentially beyond - the US National Research Council Decadal Survey recommends that the space agency use the ISS as a "test-bed for surveying microorganisms", according to Venkat and Singh.

"Since our group possess expertise in cultivating microorganisms from extreme niches, we have been tasked by the NASA Space Biology Program to survey the ISS for the presence and persistence of the microorganisms," they add.

"Needless to say, the ISS is a cleanly-maintained extreme environment. Crew safety is the number 1 priority and hence understanding human/plant pathogens are important, but beneficial microbes like this novel Methylobacterium ajmalii are also needed."

Expanding the ISS lab

As part of an ongoing surveillance mission, 8 locations on the ISS are being monitored for bacterial growths and have been for the last 6 years. These sample areas include where the crew assembles or where experiments are conducted, such as the plant growth chamber.

While hundreds of bacterial samples from the ISS have been analyzed to date, approximately 1,000 samples have been collected from various other locations on the space station but are awaiting a trip back to Earth where they can be examined.

According to Venkat and Singh, the eventual goal is to bypass this lengthy process and potentially find new novel strains using molecular biology equipment developed and demonstrated for the ISS.

"Instead of bringing samples back to Earth for analyses, we need an integrated microbial monitoring system that collect, process, and analyze samples in space using molecular technologies," Venkat and Singh said.

"This miniaturized 'omics in space' technology - a biosensor development - will help NASA and other space-faring nations achieve safe and sustainable space exploration for long periods of time." 
&nbsp;

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered three bacterial strains at the International Space Station that may help grow plants on Mars.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered three bacterial strains at the International Space Station that may help grow plants on Mars. In order to withstand the rigours of space on deep-space missions, food grown outside of Earth needs a little extra help from bacteria. Also read| 'Breakthrough': First plant transplant takes place in International Space Station The recent discovery aboard the International Space Station (ISS) can help researchers create the 'fuel' to help plants withstand such stressful situations. The findings published in the Frontiers in Microbiology described the discovery of bacteria belonging to the family Methylobacteriaceae from different locations aboard the ISS across two consecutive flights. While 1 strain was identified as Methylorubrum rhodesianum, the other 3 were previously undiscovered and belong to a novel species novel. The rod-shaped, motile bacteria were given the designations IF7SW-B2T, IIF1SW-B5, and IIF4SW-B5 with genetic analysis showing them to be closely related to Methylobacterium indicum. Methylobacterium species are involved in nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, abiotic stress tolerance, plant growth promotion and biocontrol activity against plant pathogens. Potential for Mars missions Now, in honor of the renowned Indian biodiversity scientists Dr Ajmal Khan, the team has proposed to call the novel species Methylobacterium ajmalii. Commenting on the discovery, Dr Kasthuri Venkateswaran (Venkat) and Dr Nitin Kumar Singh of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, (JPL), says that the strains might possess " biotechnologically useful genetic determinants" for the growing of crops in space. However, further experimental biology is needed to prove that it is, indeed, a potential game-changer for space farming. "To grow plants in extreme places where resources are minimal, isolation of novel microbes that help to promote plant growth under stressful conditions is essential," they said. Along with JPL, other researchers collaborating on this discovery are based at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Cornell University and the University of Hyderabad in India. With NASA one day looking to take humans to the surface of Mars - and potentially beyond - the US National Research Council Decadal Survey recommends that the space agency use the ISS as a "test-bed for surveying microorganisms", according to Venkat and Singh. "Since our group possess expertise in cultivating microorganisms from extreme niches, we have been tasked by the NASA Space Biology Program to survey the ISS for the presence and persistence of the microorganisms," they add. "Needless to say, the ISS is a cleanly-maintained extreme environment. Crew safety is the number 1 priority and hence understanding human/plant pathogens are important, but beneficial microbes like this novel Methylobacterium ajmalii are also needed." Expanding the ISS lab As part of an ongoing surveillance mission, 8 locations on the ISS are being monitored for bacterial growths and have been for the last 6 years. These sample areas include where the crew assembles or where experiments are conducted, such as the plant growth chamber. While hundreds of bacterial samples from the ISS have been analyzed to date, approximately 1,000 samples have been collected from various other locations on the space station but are awaiting a trip back to Earth where they can be examined. According to Venkat and Singh, the eventual goal is to bypass this lengthy process and potentially find new novel strains using molecular biology equipment developed and demonstrated for the ISS. "Instead of bringing samples back to Earth for analyses, we need an integrated microbial monitoring system that collect, process, and analyze samples in space using molecular technologies," Venkat and Singh said. "This miniaturized 'omics in space' technology - a biosensor development - will help NASA and other space-faring nations achieve safe and sustainable space exploration for long periods of time."

NASA discovers three microbes that may help grow plants on Mars

Our red neighbour Mars hosted lakes and oceans for a long time billions of years ago. But where did all the water go? Turns out, scientists may finally have the answer to disappearance of water from the Red Planet.

It has been believed for long that the water was lost to space. But now, scientists claim that the water is trapped within minerals in Mars’ crust. The study, funded by NASA says that between 30-99 per cent of the initial water which was on Mars remains trapped inside minerals.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mystery-of-oumuamua-solved-find-out-where-the-foreign-space-object-came-from-371045" hreflang="en">Mystery of 'Oumuamua' solved: Find out where the foreign space object came from!</a>

Eva Scheller, lead author of the paper published in Science, told AFP that that the “crust forms what we call hydrated minerals”. These are minerals with water in their crystal structure. Earlier estimates suggest that Mars had at least 100 to 1,500 metres of ocean, covering different parts of the planet.

Over time, the planet lost its magnetic field due to which its atmosphere died off over time. Scientists believed that the water also perished during this time. Now, researchers claim that even though a lot of water was lost, majority of it remains&nbsp;on the planet.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/nasa-discovers-three-microbes-that-may-help-grow-plants-on-mars-370933" hreflang="en">NASA discovers three microbes that may help grow plants on Mars</a>

They reached this conclusion by focusing on hydrogen - a key component of water. They observed the data of Mars rovers, supplementing it with information of meteorites from the planet. Scientists believe the water was lost to two mechanisms: the trapping of water in crust’s minerals, and loss of water to the atmosphere.

They say that the planet lost most of its water four to 3.7 billion years ago. This essentially means that Mars as we know it today has existed for the last three billion years.

Our red neighbour Mars hosted lakes and oceans for a long time billions of years ago. But where did all the water go? Turns out, scientists may finally have the answer to disappearance of water from the Red Planet.

Our red neighbour Mars hosted lakes and oceans for a long time billions of years ago. But where did all the water go? Turns out, scientists may finally have the answer to disappearance of water from the Red Planet. It has been believed for long that the water was lost to space. But now, scientists claim that the water is trapped within minerals in Mars’ crust. The study, funded by NASA says that between 30-99 per cent of the initial water which was on Mars remains trapped inside minerals. Also read: Mystery of 'Oumuamua' solved: Find out where the foreign space object came from! Eva Scheller, lead author of the paper published in Science, told AFP that that the “crust forms what we call hydrated minerals”. These are minerals with water in their crystal structure. Earlier estimates suggest that Mars had at least 100 to 1,500 metres of ocean, covering different parts of the planet. Over time, the planet lost its magnetic field due to which its atmosphere died off over time. Scientists believed that the water also perished during this time. Now, researchers claim that even though a lot of water was lost, majority of it remains on the planet. Also read: NASA discovers three microbes that may help grow plants on Mars They reached this conclusion by focusing on hydrogen - a key component of water. They observed the data of Mars rovers, supplementing it with information of meteorites from the planet. Scientists believe the water was lost to two mechanisms: the trapping of water in crust’s minerals, and loss of water to the atmosphere. They say that the planet lost most of its water four to 3.7 billion years ago. This essentially means that Mars as we know it today has existed for the last three billion years.

What really happened to water on Mars? Scientists finally have the answer!

As NASA’s rover Perseverance explores the surface of Mars, scientists hunting for signs of ancient life on the distant planet are using data gathered on a mission much closer to home at a lake in southwest Turkey.

NASA says the minerals and rock deposits at Salda are the nearest match on earth to those around the Jezero Crater where the spacecraft landed and which is believed to have once been flooded with water.

Information gathered from Lake Salda may help the scientists as they search for fossilised traces of microbial life preserved in sediment thought to have been deposited around the delta and the long-vanished lake it once fed.

“Salda ... will serve as a powerful analogue in which we can learn and interrogate,” Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science, told Reuters.

A team of American and Turkish planetary scientists carried out research in 2019 on the shorelines of the lake, known as Turkey’s Maldives because of its azure water and white shores.

Scientists believe that the sediments around the lake eroded from large mounds that are formed with the help of microbes and are known as microbialites.

The team behind the Perseverance rover, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever flown to another world, wants to find out whether there are microbialites in Jezero Crater.

They will also compare the beach sediments from Salda with carbonate minerals - formed from carbon dioxide and water, a key ingredient for life - detected on the margins of Jezero Crater.

“When we find something at Perseverance we can go back to look at Lake Salda to really look at both processes, (looking at) similarities but equally importantly differences that are really between Perseverance and Lake Salda,” Zurbuchen said.

“So we are really glad we have that lake, just because I think it will be with us for a long time”.

Samples of rock drilled from Martian soil are to be stored on the surface for eventual retrieval and delivery to Earth by two future robotic missions, as early as 2031.

As NASA’s rover Perseverance explores the surface of Mars, scientists hunting for signs of ancient life on the distant planet are using data gathered on a mission much closer to home at a lake in southwest Turkey.

As NASA’s rover Perseverance explores the surface of Mars, scientists hunting for signs of ancient life on the distant planet are using data gathered on a mission much closer to home at a lake in southwest Turkey. NASA says the minerals and rock deposits at Salda are the nearest match on earth to those around the Jezero Crater where the spacecraft landed and which is believed to have once been flooded with water. Information gathered from Lake Salda may help the scientists as they search for fossilised traces of microbial life preserved in sediment thought to have been deposited around the delta and the long-vanished lake it once fed. “Salda ... will serve as a powerful analogue in which we can learn and interrogate,” Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science, told Reuters. A team of American and Turkish planetary scientists carried out research in 2019 on the shorelines of the lake, known as Turkey’s Maldives because of its azure water and white shores. Scientists believe that the sediments around the lake eroded from large mounds that are formed with the help of microbes and are known as microbialites. The team behind the Perseverance rover, the most advanced astrobiology lab ever flown to another world, wants to find out whether there are microbialites in Jezero Crater. They will also compare the beach sediments from Salda with carbonate minerals - formed from carbon dioxide and water, a key ingredient for life - detected on the margins of Jezero Crater. “When we find something at Perseverance we can go back to look at Lake Salda to really look at both processes, (looking at) similarities but equally importantly differences that are really between Perseverance and Lake Salda,” Zurbuchen said. “So we are really glad we have that lake, just because I think it will be with us for a long time”. Samples of rock drilled from Martian soil are to be stored on the surface for eventual retrieval and delivery to Earth by two future robotic missions, as early as 2031.

Mars on Earth: Turkish lake may hold clues to ancient life on planet

As NASA’s Perseverance rover fell through the Martian atmosphere last month, a video camera on the spacecraft captured the breakneck deployment of its parachute, which was decorated with splotches of reddish-orange and white.

Those splotches were a secret message.

During a news conference last week, Allen Chen, the engineer in charge of the landing system, narrated what could be seen and learned in the slowed-down video.

He added, cryptically and nonchalantly, that his team hoped to inspire others. “Sometimes we leave messages in our work for others to find for that purpose,” he said. “So we invite you all to give it a shot and show your work.”

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Maxence Abela, a 23-year-old computer science student in Paris, realized what Chen was saying: The seemingly random pattern on Perseverance’s parachute contained a code.

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He called his father, Jerome, a software engineer at Google in London, and the two set to solving it.

“We like those kinds of little challenges,” Maxence Abela said. “We didn’t think we would be able to solve it, but we would at least try.”

Collaborating via teleconference, they downloaded the video, isolated images showing the fully inflated parachute and started piecing together the bits. So did others around the world, trading insights on Twitter and forums on Reddit.

“It’s just exciting that NASA is putting these little puzzles in their missions,” said Adithya Balaji, a graduate student in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who independently tackled the problem.

Balaji compared the parachute puzzle to a couple of science fiction movies: “Contact,” where a scientist played by Jodie Foster unravels an alien message, and “The Martian,” where Matt Damon’s character Mark Watney communicates with people back on Earth using a similar code.

“I think that it’s exciting that real life can be sometimes even more exciting than the movies,” Balaji said.

The person who came up with the idea for embedding a message was Ian Clark, who led development of the parachute. NASA’s previous rover, Curiosity, used the same system when it successfully landed on Mars in 2012. But a failure of a prototype parachute intended for future missions spurred engineers to improve the design.

While watching video of a high-altitude test of the new parachute for Perseverance, Clark noticed that the checkerboard pattern on the canopy made it difficult to track how individual portions of the parachute unfurled and inflated.

Because Perseverance would be outfitted with video cameras, Clark wanted a pattern that would be visually distinct. That, in turn, provided an opportunity “to have a little fun with it,” he said.

He asked Matt Wallace, a deputy project manager for the mission, for permission.

“I told them 'OK,'” Wallace recalled. “Just make sure it was appropriate and couldn’t be misinterpreted.”

The 70-foot-wide parachute consisted of 80 strips of fabric radiating outward from the center to form a hemisphere-shape canopy, and each strip consisted of four pieces. Clark thus had 320 pieces to work with.

Some of his ideas would have required additional colors, but that could have threatened the parachute’s integrity if untested dyes weakened the fabric fibers.

“We were unwilling to go to a cloth that was dyed in a color that we had never used before,” Wallace said.

Even a pattern of just orange and white, the two colors of previous parachutes, raised potential issues. “There’s all kinds of second-guessing questions,” Clark said. “Like could having more white than orange, or vice versa, mean that the parachute was going to warm up differently and maybe that would change its behavior?”

After all, mission managers would have been embarrassed if they had to explain how they lost a $2.7 billion mission because a parachute engineer had sneaked in a secret message.

But Clark’s analysis showed no ill effects, and the plan went forward. Until recently, only about half a dozen people knew about it.

When computer scientists see something in black and white — or, in this case, orange and white — they think of binary code, the 1s and 0s that are the language of computers. That was the first clue that the puzzle solvers pursued last week.

For each orange section on the Perseverance parachute, Maxence Abela and his father wrote down a 1, and for each white section, they assigned a 0. That translated into a long string of 1s and 0s.

They thought that perhaps the digits could be rearranged into a picture, like the message that scientists broadcast in 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to tell distant alien civilizations of humans on Earth.

“We couldn’t find anything that looked like anything,” Maxence Abela said.

They tried breaking up the digits into groups of 8 — a common practice used in computer programming — but that too yielded gibberish.

Then the elder Abela noticed that the digits seemed to fit in groups of 10. “Every 10 bits, there would be three zeros in a row,” Maxence Abela said. That, they decided, was not a coincidence.

Still, the resulting numbers did not make sense until they realized they had read the 1s and 0s in the wrong direction, anti-clockwise instead of clockwise. When they wrote down the digits in the opposite order, the 10-digit chunks of binary code translated into small numbers, which could then be assigned to letters. The number 1 corresponded to the letter A, the number 2 was B, 3 was C, 4 was D and so on.

The message on the inner three rings: “Dare Mighty Things.”

Maxence Abela posted on Twitter his answer at 4:36 p.m. Eastern time, about two hours after Chen had dropped his cryptic hint during the news conference.

This is a credo often cited at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which built and operates Perseverance. It comes from “The Strenuous Life,” a speech by Theodore &nbsp;Roosevelt in 1899: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

There were still some numbers and letters in the fourth ring that neither Abela could make sense of. Those turned out to be the longitude and latitude of the NASA center: 34°11’58” N 118°10’31” W.

“If you look in Google Earth, if you type in those coordinates, I think you’re about 10 feet from the door of the JPL visitor center,” Clark said.

In the evening, Adam Steltzner, the chief engineer for Perseverance, posted an annotated diagram explaining the solution.

The parachute was not the only fun that the builders of the Perseverance rover had.

Eagle-eyed observers spotted a series of drawings that represented the five rovers NASA has sent to Mars, from the small Sojourner in 1997 to Perseverance now.

A plaque that will be used to calibrate one of the rover’s main cameras includes patches of colors, but there are also whimsical drawings that include DNA, a rocket and a dinosaur.

On the edge of the calibration plaque is an inscription: “Are we alone? We came here to look for signs of life, and to collect samples of Mars for study on Earth. To those who follow, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery.”

As NASA’s Perseverance rover fell through the Martian atmosphere last month, a video camera on the spacecraft captured the breakneck deployment of its parachute, which was decorated with splotches of reddish-orange and white.

As NASA’s Perseverance rover fell through the Martian atmosphere last month, a video camera on the spacecraft captured the breakneck deployment of its parachute, which was decorated with splotches of reddish-orange and white. Those splotches were a secret message. During a news conference last week, Allen Chen, the engineer in charge of the landing system, narrated what could be seen and learned in the slowed-down video. He added, cryptically and nonchalantly, that his team hoped to inspire others. “Sometimes we leave messages in our work for others to find for that purpose,” he said. “So we invite you all to give it a shot and show your work.” Across the Atlantic Ocean, Maxence Abela, a 23-year-old computer science student in Paris, realized what Chen was saying: The seemingly random pattern on Perseverance’s parachute contained a code. Also Read | NASA releases beautiful photo of a galaxy far far away He called his father, Jerome, a software engineer at Google in London, and the two set to solving it. “We like those kinds of little challenges,” Maxence Abela said. “We didn’t think we would be able to solve it, but we would at least try.” Collaborating via teleconference, they downloaded the video, isolated images showing the fully inflated parachute and started piecing together the bits. So did others around the world, trading insights on Twitter and forums on Reddit. “It’s just exciting that NASA is putting these little puzzles in their missions,” said Adithya Balaji, a graduate student in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who independently tackled the problem. Balaji compared the parachute puzzle to a couple of science fiction movies: “Contact,” where a scientist played by Jodie Foster unravels an alien message, and “The Martian,” where Matt Damon’s character Mark Watney communicates with people back on Earth using a similar code. “I think that it’s exciting that real life can be sometimes even more exciting than the movies,” Balaji said. The person who came up with the idea for embedding a message was Ian Clark, who led development of the parachute. NASA’s previous rover, Curiosity, used the same system when it successfully landed on Mars in 2012. But a failure of a prototype parachute intended for future missions spurred engineers to improve the design. While watching video of a high-altitude test of the new parachute for Perseverance, Clark noticed that the checkerboard pattern on the canopy made it difficult to track how individual portions of the parachute unfurled and inflated. Because Perseverance would be outfitted with video cameras, Clark wanted a pattern that would be visually distinct. That, in turn, provided an opportunity “to have a little fun with it,” he said. He asked Matt Wallace, a deputy project manager for the mission, for permission. “I told them 'OK,'” Wallace recalled. “Just make sure it was appropriate and couldn’t be misinterpreted.” The 70-foot-wide parachute consisted of 80 strips of fabric radiating outward from the center to form a hemisphere-shape canopy, and each strip consisted of four pieces. Clark thus had 320 pieces to work with. Some of his ideas would have required additional colors, but that could have threatened the parachute’s integrity if untested dyes weakened the fabric fibers. “We were unwilling to go to a cloth that was dyed in a color that we had never used before,” Wallace said. Even a pattern of just orange and white, the two colors of previous parachutes, raised potential issues. “There’s all kinds of second-guessing questions,” Clark said. “Like could having more white than orange, or vice versa, mean that the parachute was going to warm up differently and maybe that would change its behavior?” After all, mission managers would have been embarrassed if they had to explain how they lost a $2.7 billion mission because a parachute engineer had sneaked in a secret message. But Clark’s analysis showed no ill effects, and the plan went forward. Until recently, only about half a dozen people knew about it. When computer scientists see something in black and white — or, in this case, orange and white — they think of binary code, the 1s and 0s that are the language of computers. That was the first clue that the puzzle solvers pursued last week. For each orange section on the Perseverance parachute, Maxence Abela and his father wrote down a 1, and for each white section, they assigned a 0. That translated into a long string of 1s and 0s. They thought that perhaps the digits could be rearranged into a picture, like the message that scientists broadcast in 1974 from the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico to tell distant alien civilizations of humans on Earth. “We couldn’t find anything that looked like anything,” Maxence Abela said. They tried breaking up the digits into groups of 8 — a common practice used in computer programming — but that too yielded gibberish. Then the elder Abela noticed that the digits seemed to fit in groups of 10. “Every 10 bits, there would be three zeros in a row,” Maxence Abela said. That, they decided, was not a coincidence. Still, the resulting numbers did not make sense until they realized they had read the 1s and 0s in the wrong direction, anti-clockwise instead of clockwise. When they wrote down the digits in the opposite order, the 10-digit chunks of binary code translated into small numbers, which could then be assigned to letters. The number 1 corresponded to the letter A, the number 2 was B, 3 was C, 4 was D and so on. The message on the inner three rings: “Dare Mighty Things.” Maxence Abela posted on Twitter his answer at 4:36 p.m. Eastern time, about two hours after Chen had dropped his cryptic hint during the news conference. This is a credo often cited at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which built and operates Perseverance. It comes from “The Strenuous Life,” a speech by Theodore Roosevelt in 1899: “Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” There were still some numbers and letters in the fourth ring that neither Abela could make sense of. Those turned out to be the longitude and latitude of the NASA center: 34°11’58” N 118°10’31” W. “If you look in Google Earth, if you type in those coordinates, I think you’re about 10 feet from the door of the JPL visitor center,” Clark said. In the evening, Adam Steltzner, the chief engineer for Perseverance, posted an annotated diagram explaining the solution. The parachute was not the only fun that the builders of the Perseverance rover had. Eagle-eyed observers spotted a series of drawings that represented the five rovers NASA has sent to Mars, from the small Sojourner in 1997 to Perseverance now. A plaque that will be used to calibrate one of the rover’s main cameras includes patches of colors, but there are also whimsical drawings that include DNA, a rocket and a dinosaur. On the edge of the calibration plaque is an inscription: “Are we alone? We came here to look for signs of life, and to collect samples of Mars for study on Earth. To those who follow, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery.”

NASA sent a secret message to Mars. Meet the people who decoded it

NASA said on Friday that it took Mars rover Perseverance 'out for a spin' for a test drive on the red planet. This was the rover's first test drive and it was successful. The six-wheeled rover travelled about 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in 33 minutes on Thursday, NASA said.

It drove four meters forward, turned in place 150 degrees to the left, and then backed up 2.5 meters, leaving tire tracks in the Martian dust.

"This was our first chance to 'kick the tires' and take Perseverance out for a spin," said Anais Zarifian, Perseverance mobility test bed engineer&nbsp;at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Zarifian said the test drive went "incredibly well" and represented a "huge milestone for the mission and the mobility team."

"We're going to do some longer drives," she added. "This is just the beginning."

NASA engineers said they were studying possible routes for rover for longer voyages on Mars.&nbsp;

The rover can cover 200 meters per Martian day, which is slightly longer than a day on Earth.

And it goes five times faster than Curiosity, its predecessor, which is still functioning eight years after landing on Mars.

Perseverance deputy mission manager Robert Hogg said engineers were also preparing for the first flight of a helicopter drone carried by the rover.

Hogg said the rover team was working out flight zones and hoped to conduct the first flight in late spring or early summer.

He said the mission had not experienced any major problems so far.&nbsp;

"It's all just minor stuff," he said. "Everything we've tried has worked beautifully."

Perseverance was launched on July 30, 2020 and landed on the surface of Mars on February 18 on a mission to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet.

The rover's primary mission will last just over two years but it is likely to remain operational well beyond that.

(With AFP inputs)

NASA said on Friday that it took Mars rover Perseverance 'out for a spin' for a test drive on the red planet. This was the rover's first test drive and it was successful.

NASA said on Friday that it took Mars rover Perseverance 'out for a spin' for a test drive on the red planet. This was the rover's first test drive and it was successful. The six-wheeled rover travelled about 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in 33 minutes on Thursday, NASA said. It drove four meters forward, turned in place 150 degrees to the left, and then backed up 2.5 meters, leaving tire tracks in the Martian dust. "This was our first chance to 'kick the tires' and take Perseverance out for a spin," said Anais Zarifian, Perseverance mobility test bed engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Zarifian said the test drive went "incredibly well" and represented a "huge milestone for the mission and the mobility team." "We're going to do some longer drives," she added. "This is just the beginning." NASA engineers said they were studying possible routes for rover for longer voyages on Mars. The rover can cover 200 meters per Martian day, which is slightly longer than a day on Earth. And it goes five times faster than Curiosity, its predecessor, which is still functioning eight years after landing on Mars. Perseverance deputy mission manager Robert Hogg said engineers were also preparing for the first flight of a helicopter drone carried by the rover. Hogg said the rover team was working out flight zones and hoped to conduct the first flight in late spring or early summer. He said the mission had not experienced any major problems so far. "It's all just minor stuff," he said. "Everything we've tried has worked beautifully." Perseverance was launched on July 30, 2020 and landed on the surface of Mars on February 18 on a mission to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet. The rover's primary mission will last just over two years but it is likely to remain operational well beyond that. (With AFP inputs)

Mars rover Perseverance takes a test drive on the red planet

China's&nbsp;space agency on Thursday released three high-definition images of Mars, sent by its space probe Tianwen-1.

The images were captured by the high-resolution camera on the probe at a distance of about 330 to 350 km from the surface of The Red Planet, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

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Taken from a resolution of about 0.7 metres, the panchromatic showed ridges, dunes small craters, on the Martian surface.&nbsp;

It was taken by a medium-resolution camera and displays Mars' north polar region, the Chinese space agency said.

It added that the estimated diameter of the largest impact crater in the images is about 620 metres.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dear-moon-japanese-billionaire-invites-applications-for-space-expedition-367629">'Dear Moon': Japanese billionaire invites applications for space expedition</a>

The spacecraft, comprising an orbiter, a lander and a rover, entered the parking orbit around Mars on February 10.&nbsp;

The five-tonne spacecraft is named Tianwen-1, which roughly translates to "Questions to Heaven".&nbsp;

It was launched about the same time as a rival US mission on Mars and is expected to touch down on the surface of the Red Planet in May.

The mission is the latest in China's space programme, which intends to kick off a crewed space station by 2022 and eventually send an astronaut to&nbsp;the moon.&nbsp;

China's space agency on Thursday released three high-definition images of Mars, sent by its space probe Tianwen-1. The images were captured by the high-resolution camera on the probe at a distance of about 330 to 350 km from the surface of The Red Planet, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

China's space agency on Thursday released three high-definition images of Mars, sent by its space probe Tianwen-1. The images were captured by the high-resolution camera on the probe at a distance of about 330 to 350 km from the surface of The Red Planet, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA). × Taken from a resolution of about 0.7 metres, the panchromatic showed ridges, dunes small craters, on the Martian surface. It was taken by a medium-resolution camera and displays Mars' north polar region, the Chinese space agency said. It added that the estimated diameter of the largest impact crater in the images is about 620 metres. Also read | 'Dear Moon': Japanese billionaire invites applications for space expedition The spacecraft, comprising an orbiter, a lander and a rover, entered the parking orbit around Mars on February 10. The five-tonne spacecraft is named Tianwen-1, which roughly translates to "Questions to Heaven". It was launched about the same time as a rival US mission on Mars and is expected to touch down on the surface of the Red Planet in May. The mission is the latest in China's space programme, which intends to kick off a crewed space station by 2022 and eventually send an astronaut to the moon.

Watch | High-resolution images from China's Mars probe shared

The Chinese space agency on Thursday released three high-definition images of Mars, sent by its space probe Tianwen-1. The images were captured by the high-resolution camera on the probe at a distance of about 330 to 350 km from the surface of The Red Planet, said the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Scientists have discovered that the Red Planet had up to 20 separate ice ages in a&nbsp;groundbreaking new analysis of the mysterious glaciers of Mars.

The study has been published in the&nbsp;Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS) and was conducted by researchers from the&nbsp;University of Arizona, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Texas–Austin.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/united-arab-emirates-publishes-first-photo-from-mars-probe-363569">United Arab Emirates publishes first photo from Mars probe</a>

In the case of the Earth,&nbsp;glaciers covered wide swaths of the planet during the last Ice Age, which reached its peak about 20,000 years ago, before receding to the poles and leaving behind the rocks they pushed behind.

However, on Mars, the glaciers never left, remaining frozen on the Red Planet’s cold surface for more than 300 million years, covered in debris.&nbsp;

According to&nbsp;planetary geologist Joe Levy, “All the rocks and sand carried on that ice have remained on the surface.&nbsp;It’s like putting the ice in a cooler under all those sediments.”

Geologists, however, haven’t been able to tell whether all of those glaciers formed during one massive Martian Ice Age or in multiple separate events over millions of years.

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Since ice ages result from a shift in the tilt of a planet’s axis (known as obliquity), answering that question could tell scientists how Mars’ orbit and climate have changed over time &nbsp;as well as what kind of rocks, gases, or even microbes might be trapped inside the ice.

“There are really good models for Mars’ orbital parameters for the last 20 million years,” says Levy. “After that, the models tend to get chaotic.”

Levy concocted a plan to examine the rocks on the surface of the glaciers as a natural experiment. Since they presumably erode over time, a steady progression of larger to smaller rocks proceeding downhill would point to a single, long ice age event.

Choosing 45 glaciers to examine, Levy acquired high-resolution images collected by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite and set out to count the size and number of rocks. With a resolution of 25 centimetres per pixel, “you can see things the size of a dinner table,” Levy says.

Even at that magnification, however, artificial intelligence can’t accurately determine what is or isn’t a rock on rough glacier surfaces; so Levy enlisted the help of 10 Colgate students during two summers to count and measure some 60,000 big rocks. “We did a kind of virtual fieldwork, walking up and down these glaciers and mapping the boulders,” Levy says.

Levy initially panicked when, far from a tidy progression of boulders by size, the rock sizes seemed to be distributed at random. “In fact, the boulders were telling us a different story,” Levy says. “It wasn’t their size that mattered; it was how they were grouped or clustered.”

Since the rocks were travelling inside the glaciers, they were not eroding, he realized. At the same time, they were distributed in clear bands of debris across the glaciers’ surfaces, marking the limit of separate and distinct flows of ice, formed as Mars wobbled on its axis.

Based on that data, Levy has concluded that Mars has undergone somewhere between six and 20 separate ice ages during the past 300–800 million years.&nbsp;

“This paper is the first geological evidence of what Martian orbit and obliquity might have been doing for hundreds of millions of years,” Levy says. The finding that glaciers formed over time holds implications for planetary geology and even space exploration, he explains. “These glaciers are little time capsules, capturing snapshots of what was blowing around in the Martian atmosphere,” he says. “Now we know that we have access to hundreds of millions of years of Martian history without having to drill down deep through the crust — we can just take a hike along the surface.”

That history includes any signs of life potentially present from Mars’ distant past. “If there are any biomarkers blowing around, those are going to be trapped in the ice too.”

At the same time, eventual explorers to Mars who might need to depend on extracting fresh water from glaciers to survive will need to know that there may be bands of rocks inside them that will make drilling hazardous. Levy and his colleagues are now in the process of mapping the rest of the glaciers on Mars’ surface, hoping with the data they have, artificial intelligence can now be trained to take over the hard work of identifying and counting boulders.

That will bring us one step closer to a complete planetary history of the Red Planet, including the age-old question of whether Mars could ever have supported life.&nbsp;

“There’s a lot of work to be done figuring out the details of Martian climate history,” says Levy, “including when and where it was warm enough and wet enough for there to be brines and liquid water.”

Scientists have discovered that the Red Planet had up to 20 separate ice ages in a groundbreaking new analysis of the mysterious glaciers of Mars. The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS) and was conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Texas–Austin.

Scientists have discovered that the Red Planet had up to 20 separate ice ages in a groundbreaking new analysis of the mysterious glaciers of Mars. The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science (PNAS) and was conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Texas–Austin. Also read| United Arab Emirates publishes first photo from Mars probe In the case of the Earth, glaciers covered wide swaths of the planet during the last Ice Age, which reached its peak about 20,000 years ago, before receding to the poles and leaving behind the rocks they pushed behind. However, on Mars, the glaciers never left, remaining frozen on the Red Planet’s cold surface for more than 300 million years, covered in debris. According to planetary geologist Joe Levy, “All the rocks and sand carried on that ice have remained on the surface. It’s like putting the ice in a cooler under all those sediments.” Geologists, however, haven’t been able to tell whether all of those glaciers formed during one massive Martian Ice Age or in multiple separate events over millions of years. Since ice ages result from a shift in the tilt of a planet’s axis (known as obliquity), answering that question could tell scientists how Mars’ orbit and climate have changed over time as well as what kind of rocks, gases, or even microbes might be trapped inside the ice. “There are really good models for Mars’ orbital parameters for the last 20 million years,” says Levy. “After that, the models tend to get chaotic.” Levy concocted a plan to examine the rocks on the surface of the glaciers as a natural experiment. Since they presumably erode over time, a steady progression of larger to smaller rocks proceeding downhill would point to a single, long ice age event. Choosing 45 glaciers to examine, Levy acquired high-resolution images collected by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite and set out to count the size and number of rocks. With a resolution of 25 centimetres per pixel, “you can see things the size of a dinner table,” Levy says. Even at that magnification, however, artificial intelligence can’t accurately determine what is or isn’t a rock on rough glacier surfaces; so Levy enlisted the help of 10 Colgate students during two summers to count and measure some 60,000 big rocks. “We did a kind of virtual fieldwork, walking up and down these glaciers and mapping the boulders,” Levy says. Levy initially panicked when, far from a tidy progression of boulders by size, the rock sizes seemed to be distributed at random. “In fact, the boulders were telling us a different story,” Levy says. “It wasn’t their size that mattered; it was how they were grouped or clustered.” Since the rocks were travelling inside the glaciers, they were not eroding, he realized. At the same time, they were distributed in clear bands of debris across the glaciers’ surfaces, marking the limit of separate and distinct flows of ice, formed as Mars wobbled on its axis. Based on that data, Levy has concluded that Mars has undergone somewhere between six and 20 separate ice ages during the past 300–800 million years. “This paper is the first geological evidence of what Martian orbit and obliquity might have been doing for hundreds of millions of years,” Levy says. The finding that glaciers formed over time holds implications for planetary geology and even space exploration, he explains. “These glaciers are little time capsules, capturing snapshots of what was blowing around in the Martian atmosphere,” he says. “Now we know that we have access to hundreds of millions of years of Martian history without having to drill down deep through the crust — we can just take a hike along the surface.” That history includes any signs of life potentially present from Mars’ distant past. “If there are any biomarkers blowing around, those are going to be trapped in the ice too.” At the same time, eventual explorers to Mars who might need to depend on extracting fresh water from glaciers to survive will need to know that there may be bands of rocks inside them that will make drilling hazardous. Levy and his colleagues are now in the process of mapping the rest of the glaciers on Mars’ surface, hoping with the data they have, artificial intelligence can now be trained to take over the hard work of identifying and counting boulders. That will bring us one step closer to a complete planetary history of the Red Planet, including the age-old question of whether Mars could ever have supported life. “There’s a lot of work to be done figuring out the details of Martian climate history,” says Levy, “including when and where it was warm enough and wet enough for there to be brines and liquid water.”

Scientists discover Mars had up to 20 separate ice ages

In a series of revelations flowing in from our galactic backyard, geologists have now solved the mysteries surrounding glaciers on Mars. Turns out, our red neighbour has undergone at least 20 separate ice ages!

Why is this important? 
The majority of Mars' surface froze over hundreds of millions of years and remains covered in glaciers. For long, scientists wondered whether the glaciers formed as a result of a single Ice Age or by multiple ice ages that eclipsed the red planet over time.

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Ice ages are caused by a change in obliquity, or put simply - changes in the tilt of a planet's axis. This realisation could help scientists better understand the secret of life on Mars. If the exact timelines of ice ages are ascertained by scientists, then they may also be able to decrypt what lies beneath all the ice on the planet. They may be able to understand what kind of rocks, microbes, gases, and fossils lie beneath the red planet's surface.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/nasa-releases-360-degree-panorama-of-mars-366636" hreflang="en">NASA releases 360-degree panorama of Mars</a>

Scientists at Colgate University took up the study, which was led by&nbsp;geology professor Joe Levy. The scientists also received help from NASA, the University of Arizona, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Texas-Austin. "There are really good models for Mars' orbital parameters for the last 20 million years... After that the models tend to get chaotic", Levy said in a release from Colgate University.

Levy's team took into account 45 glaciers and employed high-resolution images which came from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite, which can successfully achieve a resolution of 25 cms per pixel.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/mars-landing-nasas-perseverance-sends-spectacular-new-colour-images-364943" hreflang="en">Mars landing: NASA's Perseverance sends spectacular new colour images</a>

Using artificial intelligence, the scientists analysed over 60,000 rocks with a focus on how the rocks are placed on the planet and the sizes of these rocks. They were also looking for signs of erosion. They were able to pinpoint the location of boulders across glaciers on Mars.

How did they reach the conclusion? 
Instead of eroding in a fashion that is normally witnessed by scientists, the rocks were moving along the inside of glaciers. This meant that separate flows happened over time, instead of a one-off event. 
 
Based on this, scientists concluded that Mars underwent six to 20 ice ages in the last 300-800 million years. The scientists published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

In a series of revelations flowing in from our galactic backyard, geologists have now solved the mysteries surrounding glaciers on Mars. Turns out, our red neighbour has undergone at least 20 separate ice ages!

In a series of revelations flowing in from our galactic backyard, geologists have now solved the mysteries surrounding glaciers on Mars. Turns out, our red neighbour has undergone at least 20 separate ice ages! Why is this important? The majority of Mars' surface froze over hundreds of millions of years and remains covered in glaciers. For long, scientists wondered whether the glaciers formed as a result of a single Ice Age or by multiple ice ages that eclipsed the red planet over time. Ice ages are caused by a change in obliquity, or put simply - changes in the tilt of a planet's axis. This realisation could help scientists better understand the secret of life on Mars. If the exact timelines of ice ages are ascertained by scientists, then they may also be able to decrypt what lies beneath all the ice on the planet. They may be able to understand what kind of rocks, microbes, gases, and fossils lie beneath the red planet's surface. Also read: NASA releases 360-degree panorama of Mars Scientists at Colgate University took up the study, which was led by geology professor Joe Levy. The scientists also received help from NASA, the University of Arizona, Fitchburg State University, and the University of Texas-Austin. "There are really good models for Mars' orbital parameters for the last 20 million years... After that the models tend to get chaotic", Levy said in a release from Colgate University. Levy's team took into account 45 glaciers and employed high-resolution images which came from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite, which can successfully achieve a resolution of 25 cms per pixel. Also read: Mars landing: NASA's Perseverance sends spectacular new colour images Using artificial intelligence, the scientists analysed over 60,000 rocks with a focus on how the rocks are placed on the planet and the sizes of these rocks. They were also looking for signs of erosion. They were able to pinpoint the location of boulders across glaciers on Mars. How did they reach the conclusion? Instead of eroding in a fashion that is normally witnessed by scientists, the rocks were moving along the inside of glaciers. This meant that separate flows happened over time, instead of a one-off event. Based on this, scientists concluded that Mars underwent six to 20 ice ages in the last 300-800 million years. The scientists published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Turns out Mars underwent not one, but up to 20 separate ice ages!

US space agency NASA released a brilliant panoramic view on Wednesday of the landing site of the Perseverance rover on Mars. The panorama shows the rim of the Jezero Crater. Perseverance landed at the crator last week. Cliff face of an ancient river delta is visible in the panorama as well.

The panorama was taken by the mast of the rover that is equipped with dual, zoomable cameras that can take high-def video and images.

"We're nestled right in a sweet spot, where you can see different features similar in many ways to features found by Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity at their landing sites," said Jim Bell of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration.

Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity were previous missions to Mars.

NASA said the rover's cameras will help scientists assess the geologic history and atmospheric conditions of Jezero Crater and identify rocks and sediment worthy of a closer examination and collection for eventual return to Earth.

On Monday, the US space agency released the first audio from Mars, a faint crackling recording of a gust of wind captured by the rover's microphone.

NASA also released video of the landing of the rover, which is on a mission to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet.

(With AFP inputs)

US space agency NASA released a brilliant panoramic view on Wednesday of the landing site of the Perseverance rover on Mars. The panorama shows the rim of the Jezero Crater.

US space agency NASA released a brilliant panoramic view on Wednesday of the landing site of the Perseverance rover on Mars. The panorama shows the rim of the Jezero Crater. Perseverance landed at the crator last week. Cliff face of an ancient river delta is visible in the panorama as well. The panorama was taken by the mast of the rover that is equipped with dual, zoomable cameras that can take high-def video and images. "We're nestled right in a sweet spot, where you can see different features similar in many ways to features found by Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity at their landing sites," said Jim Bell of Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration. Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity were previous missions to Mars. NASA said the rover's cameras will help scientists assess the geologic history and atmospheric conditions of Jezero Crater and identify rocks and sediment worthy of a closer examination and collection for eventual return to Earth. On Monday, the US space agency released the first audio from Mars, a faint crackling recording of a gust of wind captured by the rover's microphone. NASA also released video of the landing of the rover, which is on a mission to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet. (With AFP inputs)

NASA releases 360-degree panorama of Mars

NASA releases Mars panorama taken by Perseverance rover

Do you know what Mars sounds like? NASA's Perseverance rover has sent the first-ever audio clip from the red planet. WION's Palki Sharma tells you what this means for the field of space exploration.

Gravitas: This is what Mars sounds like

As NASA's perseverance rover landed on Mars on Thursday, it was Indian-American scientist Dr Swati Mohan who confirmed the mission success. WION brings you more.

WION Fineprint: Indian-American scientist behind NASA's perseverance rover

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