In this episode, the Ingenuity helicopter finds eerie spacecraft wreckage,
then loses contact with the rover. Meanwhile, Perseverance spots a bright object and finally
reaches the towering delta face. This video is part of a series,
documenting the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter every 3 months.
It s Sol 359, and Perseverance finds itself surrounded by rocks.
The rover turns around and looks the other way, drawing the same conclusion - more rocks!
Upon closer inspection, some of the rocks turn out to be quite interesting.
In this one, a large crack can be seen. And look at the layering beneath this rock,
it s almost like something you d see from a stream on Earth.
On Sol 362, a hitchhiker is spotted inside one of the rover s wheels. This rock likely
got caught in the wheel during a cross-slope drive, where the rover moves diagonally across
a slope. It poses no threat to the mission and should eventually fall out on its own.
The rover is now gearing up for its longest and fastest drive so far.
Meanwhile, the Ingenuity helicopter takes to the sky for its 20th flight,
scouting ahead for the rover and taking some colour pictures of
the terrain. The ground beyond the rocks looks relatively safe.
On Sol 368, the team orders the rover to focus its camera on its own body, to see the level of
dust accumulation. These images show what 1 year on the Martian surface can do to a rover.
Before departing on the long drive to the delta front, Perseverance takes a
drill sample of a rock named Sid . The team uses an algorithm called prodapt to control
the amount of force and percussion. The algorithm ranges from level 0 to level 20,
with the level increasing or decreasing depending on the progress through the rock. Sid required
the most force of any rock drilled yet. Perseverance now enters the Rapid Traverse phase,
aiming to quickly reach the delta for its next science campaign.
This map shows the route to the delta. The rover will go up around Seitah and on to a
location named The Three Forks . The rover's advanced self-driving
technology allows it to "think while driving";
processing images on the move and navigating based on those images.
After a little driving, the rover takes a quick look at the start of the delta. A small crater
can be seen in the foreground. The main portion of the delta is located off-screen on the right.
Perseverance is now driving faster than any previous rover and has broken records for
the distance travelled in one day. It is making rapid progress on very smooth terrain and has now
covered a total of 4.1 miles, or 6.6 kilometres in total, driving about one mile per week.
As Perseverance nears the delta, excitement grows on Earth. If Mars had life in the past,
it s very possible that we could see fossilized remains in the layers making up the delta.
As the rover moves closer, the towering delta unveils its true scale. Climbing
directly up the delta could spell disaster for Perseverance.
The rover makes a brief stop to observe a Martian solar eclipse. The moon seen here is Phobos,
the largest of the 2 Martian moons. This video is the highest definition
observation of a Martian solar eclipse ever taken. The eclipse lasted a little over 40 seconds in
real time. Scientists can use these observations to measure subtle shifts in the moons orbit over
time, which can reveal information about the composition of the Martian crust and mantle.
On Sol 401, the team at NASA spot something in one of the images sent back. It appears to
be a part of the parachute that helped the rover land safely. You can clearly
see the red and white coloured bands. On Sol 402, Perseverance looks towards the
eroded eastern edge of the delta. A deposit of boulders at the edge
of the delta, may have been moved there by high-energy floods in the ancient past.
The rover captures a video of its driving during Sols 404 and 405,
making good use of its auto-navigation. Perseverance drove approximately 1700 feet,
or just over half a kilometre over both Sols. The video is sped up by a factor of 200.
This image, taken on Sol 406, shows a striking portion of the delta. The rover is expected to
as Kodiac , that we previously saw from afar in the first year of exploration.
This closer examination provides a good look at the layers making up the formation.
Perseverance has now completed its "Rapid Traverse" mode and is now in the Delta
Front Campaign. Geologists will investigate the boundary between the rocks of the crater
floor and those that make up the delta. On Sol 411, the rover is looking out to an
area close to the delta named Hogwallow Flats , and scientists spot something interesting
in the distance. A bright, shiny object can be seen tucked under a rock. For now,
it s given the imaginative nickname bright material and scientists hope to get closer
to it as part of the planned route. The object is estimated to be around 30 centimetres long.
Meanwhile, Ingenuity takes to the sky for it s 26th flight and captures something
truly remarkable. It s the parachute from the descent stage that we spotted earlier,
along with the backshell. The helicopter captures 10 colour
images of the crash site, from different angles. These images could help ensure
safer landings for future rovers. For the helicopters 27th flight, the
Perseverance team asked if it could scout an area called "Fortun Ridge." Ingenuity's survey will
allow scientists to compare the Flight 27 images with data collected by Perseverance to better
understand the history of the crater floor and the forces that were at play billions of years ago.
However, after this flight, Ingenuity experienced a communication dropout with the Perseverance
rover due to a low-power state, possibly triggered by a seasonal increase in dust
and lower temperatures from the oncoming Martian winter. Ingenuity relies on its
solar-charged batteries, and the increased dust in the air presents a significant challenge in
charging the helicopter's batteries to a level that will allow important components
to remain energized throughout the night. The team is commanding the rotorcraft to adjust
how it handles its heaters to maintain a battery charge through the night.
Adrian Brown, Deputy Program Scientist at NASA, imagined what Perseverance might be feeling after
losing contact with the helicopter. He wrote this letter, from Perseverance to Ingenuity:
I have missed you, Little One! We once were the best of friends. Better partners than
Batman and Robin. Two metallic creatures of Earth, sent to this red wasteland by those
tool-bearing monkeys. I protected you in my mechanical belly for more than seven months.
I worry that I ve seen the last of you. And then who will I share selfies with?
Since we were built back in California and our fateful mission commenced, we knew we
would have to part ways. But I was hoping for more fanfare. At least a parting handshake.
I well remember that fateful day, when you missed the comms-check. With the lowering of the Sun,
your battery couldn t see you through the Martian day safely. So, we had to park you
in a Sun-drenched spot and hope you come back to me, as winter comes to an end.
Luckily, just 2 Sols later, on Sol 429, Ingenuity re-establishes communication.
Although it seems like the letter did the trick, it was probably a case of less dust
and more sunlight, allowing Ingenuity s solar panels to gather more energy.
Perseverance looks up towards the impassable delta face, taking this panorama on Sol 437.
Climbing the delta will be tricky, and the team decides the best place
to try is Hawksbill Gap , located here. On Sol 439, Perseverance begins its ascent of
"Hawksbill Gap". This is the most challenging terrain the rover has crossed so far.
In the next episode, Perseverance investigates the bright material and explores the delta.
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