In 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover landed on Mars after a thrilling descent, leaving behind debris like heat shields and parachutes. The rover keeps finding these remnants, a common occurrence seen with previous rovers like Curiosity.
Space Junk and the Challenges Left by Past Missions
Professor Cagri Kilic from West Virginia University estimates that there are about 15,694 pounds of human-made trash on Mars, equivalent to a fully-grown African elephant.
Mars debris originates from three primary sources: discarded hardware, inactive spacecraft, and crashed spacecraft. Every mission to Mars involves a protective module containing a heat shield, parachute, and landing hardware. As the spacecraft descends, pieces of this module are discarded, landing in different locations on the Martian surface.
The debris can break into smaller pieces upon impact, as witnessed during the Perseverance rover landing in 2021. These smaller fragments can be scattered by Martian winds, leading to the discovery of various windblown items, such as recently found netting material.
Instances of large debris, like a shiny thermal blanket spotted by Perseverance on June 13, have been observed at considerable distances from the rover's landing site. Similar encounters with debris occurred with the Curiosity rover in 2012 and the Opportunity rover in 2005.
While these missions achieved impressive feats, they've turned Mars into a dumping ground once they stop working. Dr. James Blake, a space debris researcher, suggests that future Mars missions should consider sustainability, either by avoiding leaving components on Mars or enabling spacecraft to return to Earth.
He highlights the challenge of balancing scientific discovery with minimizing environmental impact on remote worlds. Manned missions might address the debris issue in the future, but it could take decades, and by then, the debris might be buried in dust.
Dr. Blake envisions future Mars colonies looking for these relics as historical artifacts, similar to archaeologists on Earth, acknowledging the potential for new challenges as humans impact the planet.
Mars' Ingenuity Rover Adds to the Space Junk on Mars
Debris from missions like Russia's Mars 2 lander in 1971, the lost British spacecraft Beagle 2 in 2003, and NASA's 'Ingenuity' helicopter, which can no longer fly due to a rotor blade issue adds to that list
In February 2021, Ingenuity landed on Mars alongside its parent rover, Perseverance, which continues its mission. Perseverance has left various items in Mars's Jezero Crater, such as its cone-shaped backshell, a thermal blanket, and fabric netting. Ingenuity, released from Perseverance, made history with the first powered, controlled flight on another planet in April 2021.
Despite exceeding expectations with 'dozens more flights than planned,' Ingenuity is now essentially non-functional due to rotor damage and a lack of mobility, although it maintains communication with ground controllers.
Professor Alice Gorman, a space archaeologist at Flinders University, notes that defunct landers serve as an 'archaeological record of human engagement with Mars,' showcasing technological advancements and carrying social significance as a source of fascination for many.
The Mars surface has seen nearly 20 landing spacecraft, including landers that achieved 'soft landings' or experienced unfortunate crash landings. Ingenuity, among these, stands as a testament to human technological adaptation to extraterrestrial environments, offering unique perspectives of Mars and captivating a wide audience with its flights.
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