The Perseverance rover is on the surface of the red planet to search for remains of life. Since its arrival in February, it has been recording the 'spooky sounds of Mars', including the creaking of its wheels and the Ingenuity helicopter.
The sounds of the Red Planet have been recorded thanks to a pair of microphones located on the rover that make it appear that one is on the Martian surface. The rover has been rolling in Jezero Crater for eight months, looking for signs of ancient life, while taking stunning photos and recording sounds.
" Martian sounds have strong bass vibrations, so when you put the headphones on, you can really feel it. I think the microphones will be an important asset for future science on Mars and the Solar System," said Baptiste Chide, researcher at L 'Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie in Toulouse, France. The audio recordings have also helped NASA engineers monitor the engines, wheels, and general operation of the Perseverance and Ingenuity helicopters.
One of the microphones is located on the side of the rover's chassis; the other is on the rover's mast as a complement to the SuperCam laser instrument's investigations of rocks and the atmosphere. The microphone also makes it possible to investigate how sound propagates on Mars.
"Sound on Mars goes much further than we thought," says Nina Lanza, a SuperCam scientist and researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory. " It shows you how important it is to do field science."
