“This rock has not damaged the wheel, but throughout its course (no doubt bumpy!), it has stuck to and periodically appears in our left Hazcam image,” Eleni Ravanis, student collaborator on NASA’s Perseverance mission from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa , wrote in the update, quoted from SpaceFriday (10/6/2022).
According to Ravanis, Perseverance picked up the Martian rock on February 4, the rover’s 341th day (or Sol day) on the Red Planet. At the time, Perseverance was exploring a rock formation called “Máaz” which scientists say consists of ancient lava flows.
Since then, Perseverance has carried the rock north across its landing site, named after the late acclaimed science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler. Perseverence then west across the remnants of a region called “Kodiak”, the remnants of the former delta at Jezero.
The rover is currently in the midst of what NASA calls the Delta Front Campaign and may have drilled its first Martian sedimentary rock.
“Perseverance’s beloved rock is now a home away from home,” wrote Ravanis.
“It’s possible that the rock fell at some point along our ascent, on the crater rim in the future. If that happens, it will land among the rocks which we expect is very different from itself.”
If that were the case, future Martian geologists might be a bit confused about finding a rock so out of place, Ravanis added.
This incident is no stranger to NASA’s Mars rover. In 2004, the Spirit rover picked up what Ravanis described as a “potato-sized” rock in its right rear wheel that eventually had to come off.
The older Curiosity rover, which will celebrate its 10th year on Mars in August, has also picked up a rock in its own worn-out wheel once in a while while continuing its own mission in Mars’ Gale Crater.
“Although it’s not clear exactly how long these rocks last, they tend to jump after a few weeks,” Ravanis wrote. “Therefore, the Perseverance companion is currently on its way to setting a record ascent on Mars!”
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