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Debris Field for Perseverance Landing Gear Seen from Mars Helicopter

April 27, 2022
Perseverance's backshell, supersonic parachute, and associated debris field is seen strewn across the Martian surface in this image captured by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on April 19, 2022.

This image of Perseverance's backshell (left of center), supersonic parachute (far right), was collected from an altitude of 26 feet (8 meters) by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on Mars on April 19, 2022.

During the Feb. 18, 2021, landing of Perseverance, the parachute and backshell were jettisoned at about 1.3 miles (2.1 km) altitude. The parachute and backshell continued to descend and impacted the ground at approximately 78 mph (126 kph). Engineers working on the Mars Sample Return program requested images be taken from an aerial perspective of the components because they may provide insight into the components' performance during the rover's entry, descent, and landing.

The image has been cropped and processed from the original version.

The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter was built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which also manages the project for NASA Headquarters. It is supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, provided significant flight performance analysis and technical assistance during Ingenuity's development. AeroVironment Inc., Qualcomm, and SolAero also provided design assistance and major vehicle components. Lockheed Martin Space designed and manufactured the Mars Helicopter Delivery System.

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