# Perseverance rover on Mars (was: Mars lander set for Feb 18th landing) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 2, 2021, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068 "2021-02-02T17:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/161 "2021-03-02T04:33:09Z")
Everything’s in flux with a big complex vehicle like this, but we have a broadly similar vehicle to MSL so you can imagine similar overall timelines for most things. The Curiosity rover first drove on sol 16 of its surface mission. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/162 "2021-03-02T21:58:34Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Flying a remote helicopter/drone on MARS is such a cool thing. I suppose the person that came up with the idea at first got a chorus of “Are you NUTS”. But then thought about it a bit. Actually, I’m mot sure it’s all that hard. The trick was building something that could fly in thin air (high rotor velocity). That’s made somewhat easier by the low gravity. But the rest is something you can do with a $200 toy quadcopter. it flies up, takes some pictures, finds a place to land, and sets down to charge until it can fly again. A $200 Mavic will do much more than that. Unique to the Mars environment, the thing also has to keep its batteries and electronics warm. I’m guessing the hardest part of the design was building something that could be stowed, resist the forces of launch and six months in the deep space environment, then be deployed on the surface and set itself up. The actual flying and navigating part is known tech, even without GPS. ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/163 "2021-03-03T03:50:51Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > The trick was building something that could fly in thin air (high rotor velocity). That’s made somewhat easier by the low gravity. I think the performance necessary for a helicopter on Mars is at least a magnitude greater than on Earth. The gravity is not all too dissimilar, but the atmosphere is far far thinner. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/164 "2021-03-03T11:44:58Z")
I’ve seen quite a few pictures now and a fair few rounded rocks that have been labelled (or commented on) as being shaped by the wind. Does anyone know if there has been any sign of rocks shaped by the water that existed on this site? Or would these rocks have been buried long ago? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/165 "2021-03-03T11:48:45Z")
> [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](#): > > Does anyone know if there has been any sign of rocks shaped by the water that existed on this site? It would appear so … > **[Streams Of Water Once Flowed On Mars; NASA Says Photos Prove It](https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/09/27/161896238/streams-of-water-once-flowed-on-mars-nasa-says-photos-prove-it)** > > NASA's Curiosity rover has found definitive proof that water once ran across the surface of Mars. NASA scientists say that new photos from the rover show rocks that were smoothed and rounded by water. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2021, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/166 "2021-03-03T11:55:16Z")
That’s the Curiosity site, but still interesting thanks. It’s amazing those little pebbles are still in situ after all that time. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/167 "2021-03-04T18:48:32Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > > > The trick was building something that could fly in thin air (high rotor velocity). That’s made somewhat easier by the low gravity. > > I think the performance necessary for a helicopter on Mars is at least a magnitude greater than on Earth. The gravity is not all too dissimilar, but the atmosphere is far far thinner. So just make it lighter. Easy peasy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/168 "2021-03-04T19:32:52Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > The gravity is not all too dissimilar, but the atmosphere is far far thinner. Well, it’s about a third the gravity. You’d sure feel the difference but, yes, it’s wayyyyy thinner air. The thing is, as anyone who’s watched a drone take off can see, drones can generate astounding lift relative to their size. Even affordable toy-grade drones can take off like a rocket; the challenge is often to ease them into the air. Ingenuity’s rotors are bigger than a normal drone, sure, but it doesn’t look that different from other drones. If someone was playing with it in a park you wouldn’t think it was out of place, just bigger than most toy drones (the rotors are about four feet across.) The real challenges are 1. As @Sam_Stone points out, the cold is a real challenge to batteries. Mars at night gets cold enough to freeze carbon dioxide. It’s, like, REALLY cold. Every night is as cold as the coldest place on Earth ever gets. That isn’t delightful for a battery powered thing. 2. _It has to fly itself._ You can’t R/C it. You can tell it how you want the flight to go, but once it’s off and flitting around that’s all programmed in advance or handling by its flight software. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/169 "2021-03-05T21:08:02Z")
First Drive: > **[Perseverance Is Roving on Mars – NASA Mars Exploration](https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/25689/perseverance-is-roving-on-mars/)** > > This image was taken during the first drive of NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars on March 4, 2021. Perseverance landed on Feb. 18, 2021, and the team has been spending the weeks since landing checking out the rover to prepare for surface operations.... Video conference of this and other stuff: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/AYXQFnrVJFQ/maxresdefault.jpg "‘Firsts’ Achieved Since NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Landing (News Audio + Visuals)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYXQFnrVJFQ) Brian ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/170 "2021-03-11T14:35:54Z")
Supercam image: > **[Perseverance Rover's SuperCam Science Instrument Delivers First Results –...](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8885/perseverance-rovers-supercam-science-instrument-delivers-first-results/)** > > Data from the powerful science tool includes sounds of its laser zapping a rock in order to test what it’s made of. Brian ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/171 "2021-03-11T23:13:21Z")
So, I just finished watching several different Internet videos which feature the sound of a robot on Mars firing a laser beam. ([Example.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZw9MhgWjHQ)) _ **PEW! PEW! PEW!!!** _ OK, so it wasn’t really much of a “_PEW PEW PEW_”, but still–it was the sound a laser makes, when fired on Mars, as recorded by the robot the laser is attached to. Also, the sound of the wind. _ **On Mars.** _ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/172 "2021-03-12T00:55:39Z")
We should be much more worried when it’s the Martian robots firing lasers on Earth. That ended badly for humanity the last time Orson Welles reported on it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/173 "2021-03-13T16:41:29Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > …Also, the sound of the wind. _ **On Mars.** _ I know, right? For all the world’s problems right now, this is an amazing time to be alive. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/174 "2021-03-13T16:47:40Z")
Thirding. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/175 "2021-03-18T11:07:44Z")
Sounds of metal wheels on Martian rocks: > **[Another First: Perseverance Captures the Sounds of Driving on Mars – NASA...](https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8892/another-first-perseverance-captures-the-sounds-of-driving-on-mars/)** > > NASA’s newest rover recorded audio of itself crunching over the surface of the Red Planet, adding a whole new dimension to Mars exploration. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2021, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/176 "2021-03-18T12:43:50Z")
As cool as it is, that’s the worst noise I’ve ever heard. They should probably take that in to the shop to get checked out. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/177 "2021-03-23T18:01:42Z")
Ingenuity (Helicopter) preview media briefing: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WK5YXZIIEKU/maxresdefault.jpg "NASA Previews First Flight of Mars Helicopter (Media Briefing)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK5YXZIIEKU) Brian ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/178 "2021-03-30T07:47:56Z")
It appears that Mars is actually quite a seasonably warm place, and there may be people there, but there’s really no way to know for sure. At least, according to the November, 1929 issue of Popular Science Monthly. How far we’ve come! [![](https://i.imgur.com/yoxrg99.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/yoxrg99.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/179 "2021-03-30T12:06:15Z")
I have a silly question about that audio recording: Why did they do it? Was is just for the value of generating amazement and wonder? Or are they looking for some sort of useful scientific data? If so, what kind? It seems to me that it was mostly a stunt for public relations(and it sure worked for me!) Space stuff is amazing and science-fictiony, but the public tends to get bored after a while, so the audio was worth it just for the PR value… But what serious science stuff justified the expense and extra weight of adding audio equipment? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068/180 "2021-03-30T12:47:21Z")
This was covered during one of the many press briefings. The cost and weight was quite minimal and the audio adds a marvelous new dimension to the experience, and it may yet produce valuable results. The biggest concern is that it “do no harm” by way of jeopardizing the main science missions, and there was very high confidence that it would not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perseverance-rover-on-mars-was-mars-lander-set-for-feb-18th-landing/932068.md?page=10)