NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Finds Wreckage From Perseverance Rover's Landing
NASA notes that the coating on the outside of the backshell, the parachute, and the lines connecting the parachute to the spacecraft all survived their trip to the surface of Mars.
In February 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover successfully landed on the surface of Mars after a seven-month journey. NASA used a protective shell to bring the vehicle to the Red Planet, and parachutes helped slow the descent into the Martian atmosphere.
Both the parachute and the protective backshell then separated from Perseverance.
The Martian Ingenuity helicopter has recently taken new images of the debris left in the landing area. Even though the rover's landing was the most well-documented, these photos will provide additional information that will be used on future missions, including the return of Martian soil samples to Earth.
The photo shows the remains of Perseverance's parachute and the rover's protective backshell. NASA notes that the coating on the outside of the backshell, the parachute, and the lines connecting the parachute to the spacecraft all survived their trip to the surface of Mars.
NASA will analyze the images in further detail in the coming weeks.