NASA Perseverance Rover Loses Its Martian Pet Rock After Over a Year of Companionship

NASA Perseverance rover had been exploring Mars with a companion, its pet rock. The stone stuck with the rover for over a year as it went over the hills and sands of the Red Planet. However, it's reportedly gone.

NASA Perseverance Rover, Pet Rock Had Separated

The companionship between the rover and its pet rock is over. Dr. Gwénaël Caravaca, who works with the rover's SuperCam instrument, the team found out overnight in the latest Hazcam image that the rock has been lost, ScienceAlert reported.

In a tweet, Caravaca said that after 427 sols or more than an Earth year, and 10 kilometers of travel since Sol 341, Perseverance lost its rock friend.

The rock was first noticed in early February 2022 on Earth, or around sol 341 during Perseverance's tenure on Mars. It somehow made its way into the rover's left front wheel, where it remained like a trusted companion for a considerable amount of time.

Perseverance allegedly placed its preferred rock in its wheel since the rover lacks pockets. Although NASA has stated that the rock was not causing harm, some wonder if Perseverance occasionally found the loud, grating noise to be bothersome.

When rovers are moving down slopes, boulders may enter the wheels, according to rover engineers. They can also enter there as the rover travels across uneven ground and its weight fractures rocks.

Many people could relate to the rover carrying the rock that year. Some of us have picked up a large rock, moved it around, preserved it for a while, or even put it somewhere special or safe.

However, the outlet noted that it's possible that Perseverance abandoned the rock in search of one that is even greater. And it looks like there are a few different rocks to pick from.

How Did the Rock End Up Riding on the Rover?

In a previous report from Science Times, NASA had reportedly acknowledged that the rock broke the previous record for hitchhiking on the expedition.

It is believed that Perseverance scooped the large stone in Jezero Crater, a 45-kilometer-wide crater thought to have once been filled with water.

Since February 2021, the Perseverance rover has been examining the location and collecting rocks and other samples to be studied on Earth. It appears that one of them has become particularly attached to it.

At the time, the rock had been on board Perseverance for four months, the greatest period of time a rock clung to the Martian rover. The rover was over 8.5 kilometers away in the western Jezero delta. The researchers believed the rover accidentally picked up the stone from the crater's floor.

Perseverance's goal is to select rocks for study and take them home. In a thoughtful blog post for a NASA project, student partner Eleni Ravanis from the University of Hawaii at Manoa stated: "How do you choose a rock on Mars? Sometimes you don't- it chooses you."

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