NASA’s ‘Ingenuity Helicopter’ found ‘otherworldly’ wreckage on the surface of Mars
- NASA’s ‘Ingenuity Helicopter’ completed 72 flights on the surface of Mars
- During one flight, its camera captured some spacecraft debris in the red sand
- Looking like the work of aliens, the shattered remains were in fact man-made
Published on Nov 11, 2024 at 3:01 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Nov 11, 2024 at 5:31 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
A NASA helicopter found ‘otherworldy’ wreckage on the surface of Mars.
The ‘Ingenuity Helicopter’ came across some spacecraft debris amidst the red sand.
It happened during NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, when the space agency sent up its Perseverance Rover which carried the Ingenuity Helicopter beneath it.
It was originally planned to make five flights over Mars, however, in the end it completed 72 flights on the surface of the red planet.
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Why was a helicopter needed?
When the rover couldn’t safely reach places on Mars, the helicopter was used instead.
Speaking of the red planet, a scientist has warned of strange changes to humans living on Mars.
Meanwhile, NASA has shared the clearest view of Mars landscape ever – and the colour of the rocks might surprise you.
But, let’s get back to the helicopter, which – during action – took a series of images, giving us a greater insight into this other world, and in 2022, it captured a remarkable sight.
What it had stumbled across was the wreckage of a spacecraft, laying there in the planet’s sands, slightly reddened by the contact.
The collection of objects may appear to the untrained eye to have been manufactured on another world, but sadly that’s not the case.
What the experts say
Speaking to the New York Times, Ian Clark – an engineer who worked on Perseverance’s parachute system – said: “There’s definitely a sci-fi element to it. It exudes otherworldly, doesn’t it?
“They say a picture’s worth 1,000 words, but it’s also worth an infinite amount of engineering understanding.”
So there you have it, it’s not the work of aliens; the shattered remains are in fact man-made.
What it actually found
The reality is, if we find spaceship debris on another planet, it’s because we put it there.
What the helicopter actually found was part of the landing equipment used to bring Ingenuity down to the surface of the red planet.
Mars isn’t the only planet where humans have left their litter; the orbit of Earth is full of debris that we’ve sent up there and no longer need, too.
The Natural History Museum said that around 2,000 active satellites are orbiting Earth.
However, there are around 3,000 more ‘dead’ satellites that we no longer use still floating around up there.
Add to that more debris floating around our planet, which not only poses a danger to spacecraft, but the future hopes of space travel.
Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
