Perseverance could perhaps do with a service as Nasa experts investigate unexpectedly high-pitched scratching noise

Perseverance rover sends back first ever recording of driving on Mars video
Mars Perseverance could perhaps do with a service as Nasa experts investigate unexpectedly high-pitched scratching noise
Thu 18 Mar 2021 01.54 EDT
Nasas newest Mars rover has sent back the first-ever sounds of driving on the red planet a grinding, clanking, banging affair that by Earth standards would be pretty worrisome.
The noises made by Perseverances six metal wheels and suspension on the first test drive two weeks ago are part of a 16-minute raw audio feed released on Wednesday by Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
If I heard these sounds driving my car, Id pull over and call for a tow, Dave Gruel, an engineer on the rover team, said in a written Nasa statement. But if you take a minute to consider what youre hearing and where it was recorded, it makes perfect sense.
The driving audio contains an unexpectedly high-pitched scratching noise, according to Nasa. Engineers are trying to figure it out.
Perseverance Mars rover: Nasa releases first-drive review
Perseverance the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent to Mars landed near an ancient river delta on 18 February to search for signs of past life. Samples will be taken from the most promising rocks for eventual return to Earth.
The rover carries two microphones. One already has captured the sounds of wind and rock-zapping lasers, the other was meant to record the descent and landing. This second mic didnt pick up any sounds of the rovers arrival at Mars, but managed to record the first test drive on 4 March.
Before it starts drilling into rocks for core samples, Perseverance will drop off an experimental tag-along helicopter, named Ingenuity. The helicopter will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet sometime next month.
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