On Monday, NASA released never before seen videos and audio of the Perseverance robber landing on the surface of Mars. The images contain a detailed look at the rover’s parachute – and savvy space enthusiasts soon discovered a hidden message written on it.
The parachute may have appeared to have a purely decorative red and white pattern, but after scientists hinted at the secret message, those familiar with binary code discovered it within hours.
NASA scientists hid the phrase “Dare mighty things” in the parachute’s pattern, with parts of the pattern representing different numbers. It is a popular slogan of the Perseverance team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
The outer rings of the pattern also contain GPS coordinates for JPL’s Pasadena, California offices: 34 ° 11’58 “N 118 ° 10’31” W.
“In addition to enabling incredible science, we hope our efforts in our engineering can inspire others,” said Allen Chen, the main entrance, descent and landing for the mission, in a newsletter on Monday. “Sometimes in our work we leave messages for others to find for that purpose, so we invite all of you to give it a try and show your work.”
Chief Perseverance Engineer Adam Steltzner confirmed the message late Monday evening.
The slogan is just one of many Easter eggs hidden aboard the robber, which also contains microchips with a stencil of nearly 11 million space aficionados names and the phrase “Explore as one.”
It also bears a COVID-19 memorial, in the form of an aluminum plate with an image of the Earth supported by the Rod of Asclepius, an ancient Greek symbol of healing and medicine.
NASA has a history of recording hidden messages on it robbers
The Curiosity rover, which arrived on the red planet in 2012, has tiny holes in its wheels that read “JPL” in Morse code. So as Curiosity traveled across the surface of Mars, it stamped “JPL” into the ground wherever it went – erased shortly afterwards by strong Martian winds.
“Embellishments like these add artistic elements to missions otherwise dominated solely by science and technology, as well as an enduring tribute to colleagues who helped pave the way for humanity’s exploration of space,” said Jim Bell of Arizona State University, which has. helped festoon nearly all of NASA’s Mars rovers, including Perseverance.