A NASA helicopter has captured a unique image of equipment debris that helped land the Perseverance probe that the agency sent to Mars a year ago.
The highly accurate image showed the wreckage that looked like a flying saucer, but was in fact a parachute and a cone-shaped cover that helped the probe land.
Regarding the image of the wreck, engineer Ian Clark, who oversaw the development of the Perseverance landing system on Mars, said: “It looks like from another world…isn’t it?”, according to what the American newspaper “New York Times” quoted.
Look out below! Engineers recently completed a series of successful Mars Sample Return Earth Entry System drop tests at a test range in Utah. These tests will ultimately help us bring samples from Mars back to Earth safely and securely.
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— NASA Langley Research Center (@NASA_Langley) April 29, 2022
Studying the equipment that contributed to the probe’s safe landing on Mars might help prepare for future missions to the red planet, according to NASA.
During their journey to Mars, spacecraft are exposed to extreme temperatures and gravitational forces, which cause them to penetrate the atmosphere at speeds of up to 20,000 kilometers per hour.
The equipment shown in the image helps reduce the impact of this on the spacecraft, as it separates from it before landing and suffers severe damage.
Images of damaged equipment are usually captured from a distance by cameras located in the probe.
Aerial images recently published by NASA, captured for the first time from a height of eight meters, provide more details.
Earlier last year, the Ingenuity small helicopter, which weighs 1.8 kilograms and is powered by four lithium batteries, became the first man-made vehicle to fly in the skies of another planet.
