Skip to main content

Perseverance rover’s first-ever selfie also shows Mars helicopter

NASA

NASA’s Perseverance rover has snapped its first selfie on Mars, sharing the frame with the tiny Mars helicopter, Ingenuity.

Perseverance, which arrived on the red planet in spectacular fashion on February 18, 2021, with Ingenuity attached to its underbelly, recently deployed the helicopter to the Martian surface.

In just a few days from now, the helicopter will attempt to become the first aircraft to perform powered flight on another planet.

The selfie, captured on April 6, shows the two machines about 13 feet (3.9 meters) apart. You can also see tire marks carved into the surface by Perseverance’s six wheels.

In addition to the still frame above, the space agency also posted an animated version (below) that shows Perseverance’s SuperCam switching its glance between the helicopter and the camera taking the selfie.

Two bots, one selfie. Greetings from Jezero Crater, where I’ve taken my first selfie of the mission. I’m also watching the #MarsHelicopter Ingenuity as it gets ready for its first flight in a few days. Daring mighty things indeed.

Images: https://t.co/owLX2LaK52 pic.twitter.com/rTxDNK69rs

— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) April 7, 2021

The picture was created from 62 images taken by Perseverance’s WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera on the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument, located at the end of the rover’s long robotic arm (think of it as a high-tech selfie stick).

The images were stitched together after being beamed back to Earth. The combination of photos allowed NASA to build the final image in a way that makes it look as if the camera taking the shot is detached from the rover, with no selfie stick showing. NASA has a video showing the process in action.

“They were taken in sequence while the rover was looking at the helicopter, then again while it was looking at the WATSON camera,” NASA said, adding that its other operational Mars rover, Curiosity, which reached Mars in 2012, takes similar selfies using a camera attached to its robotic arm. You can see Curiosity selfies here and here.

Besides sending back incredible images from the faraway planet, Perseverance will also be spending its time searching for signs of ancient life during its two-year mission.

Perseverance, NASA’s most advanced rover to date, is equipped with more than 20 cameras for image capture and scientific research. Here’s what they all do.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
NASA says goodbye to Mars helicopter Ingenuity after an incredible 72 flights
NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter unlocked its rotor blades, allowing them to spin freely, on April 7, 2021, the 47th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

It's a sad day for space fans, as the plucky little helicopter Ingenuity has finally come to the end of its mission on Mars. The helicopter will not be making anymore flights due to damage to one of its rotors that occurred during a recent landing, NASA said in an announcement on Thursday, January 25.

The mission was originally planned to make just five flights and to last 30 days, but has been successful beyond what anyone had imagined. The helicopter has made a total of 72 flights over the course of its three-year mission, which began when it was set down on the surface of Mars by the Perseverance rover. The rover arrived on Mars with the helicopter tucked up underneath its belly in February 2021, and Ingenuity sat on the surface for the first time in April 2021. It then made history by becoming the first rotorcraft to fly on another planet with its maiden flight.

Read more
NASA regains communications with Mars helicopter Ingenuity
The Ingenuity helicopter is pictured on the surface of Mars.

Just a few days after losing contact with the Mars helicopter Ingenuity, NASA announced that it has regained communications with the plucky little helicopter. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which designed and operated the helicopter, announced that it is back in touch following an unexpected communications dropout.

The Ingenuity helicopter is pictured on the surface of Mars. NASA

Read more
NASA has lost communication with the Ingenuity Mars helicopter
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter is seen here in a close-up taken by Mastcam-Z, a pair of zoomable cameras aboard the Perseverance rover. This image was taken on April 5, the 45th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.

The Mars helicopter Ingenuity has had a remarkable lifespan and has proven to be a greater success than anyone imagined. Originally designed to perform just five flights over the surface of Mars, the helicopter has now performed more than 70. However, NASA has now announced that it has lost contact with the helicopter, though it's unclear how serious this problem is.

The helicopter was performing its 72nd flight, which was an adjustment and correction to a previous flight that was cut short. Flight 71 was intended to be a journey of 1,175 feet (358 meters), but when the helicopter made this flight earlier in the month, it traveled just a third of that. The problem was related to its downward-facing camera, which uses surface indications for autonomous navigation. The helicopter was traveling over a particularly featureless expanse of the surface, and the lack of landmarks appeared to cause a problem with its navigation, forcing the flight to end early.

Read more