NASA solves mystery of string-like object on Mars

Nasa says that it has solved the mystery of a string-like object found on the surface of Mars.

The object was found by the space agency’s Perseverance rover on July 11. Until now, the origin of the item has been unknown.

Nasa said the object was a piece of Dacron netting. The material is used in thermal blankets that are designed to shield equipment from extreme temperatures when landing on Mars.

«While spacewalking I realized something: I used to think I was scared of heights but now I know I was just scared of gravity»

— NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman

[source: https://t.co/VnS0FlPxqs] pic.twitter.com/knwtifIl4J

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 4, 2022

“The hardware teams suspect that this is another piece of Dacron netting, based on the observed 2×2 mm2 grid mesh pattern,” Nasa scientist Justin Maki said in a blog post on the agency’s website.

“They noted that this particular piece of netting appears to have undergone significant unravelling/shredding, suggesting that it was subjected to strong forces.”

My team has spotted something unexpected: It’s a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, the rocket-powered jet pack that set me down on landing day back in 2021. pic.twitter.com/O4rIaEABLu

— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) June 15, 2022

The piece of netting had disappeared by July 16 when the Perseverance rover returned to the spot it was found.

The rover regularly comes across pieces of debris on the red planet. In June, it spotted a piece of its own thermal blanket used during its descent onto Mars.

About half a dozen pieces of debris from the rover’s landing have been logged in an area Nasa calls Hogwallow Flats.

The rover has been trawling the planet since February 2021 searching for signs of ancient life and collecting samples of rock and soil.

In 2021, Perseverance captured the first piece of audio from Mars, revealing what sound is like on the planet.

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