Mars Litter

The Ingenuity helicopter captured this image of debris from the landing of the Perseverance rover on February 18, 2021. The large item at left is the backshell, which protected the rover and helicopter during their interplanetary cruise and their entry into Mars's atmosphere. The parachute that helped slow its descent is at top, apparently still connected to the backshell. Perseverance and Ingenuity, which hitched a ride with the rover, continue to explore their landing site in Jezero Crater, an ancient Martian lake bed. [NASA/JPL]