NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover snapped a view of one of its rear wheels with a rock inside it on May … [+]
It can get lonely on Mars. You’re a rover, traveling around the Jezero Crater. Your best friend, the Ingenuity helicopter, has reached the end of its mission. Now, it’s just you. Except you’ve made a new friend. You’ve got a rock riding along in your wheel. The Perseverance Mars rover has a little companion tucked into one of its wheels, NASA shared this week. It’s the latest in a series of pet rocks the rover has acquired during its travels.
NASA shared a photo of a Martian landscape with part of the rover visible, including one of the explorer’s wheels with a rock resting inside. The Perseverance team posts to social media in a way that sounds like the rover itself is tweeting from Mars. “Hi, little fella. Looks like I’ve picked up another rock friend that my operations team has named Dwayne,” the team said on X on May 29.
Perseverance photographed the rear-wheel rock with one of its hazard-avoidance cameras on May 27. “HazCams detect hazards to the front and back pathways of the rover, such as large rocks, trenches and sand dunes,” said NASA in an explainer. The cameras are also good for keeping tabs on rocky hitchhikers.
The rock’s nickname seems to be a winking nod to wrestling and acting star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Perseverance has an older sibling rover that’s exploring a different crater on Mars. The Curiosity rover team bantered with the Perseverance team on X. “Dwayne…the rock…I get it,” Curiosity said. Perseverance feigned ignorance, replying, “Am I missing something? It’s a nice name for a rock.”
Perseverance arrived on Mars in 2021 on a mission to seek out signs of ancient life and to collect rock and soil samples that may one day be brought to Earth for study. The rover has had rocks in its wheels before. Some of those relationships have lasted a long time. The rover picked up a pet rock in its left front wheel in February 2022 and carried it around for miles. The rock finally parted ways with Perseverance over a year later.
Perseverance picked up a pet wheel rock in 2022. The rock resembles the one the rover picked up in … [+]
NASA isn’t concerned about the new pet rock causing damage. “My wheels pick up rocks from time to time. They’re harmless and will eventually fall out as I drive around,” the rover team tweeted. “Until then, it’s nice to have a companion with me.”
Perseverance’s six wheels are made from aluminum and are designed with cleats to give the rover good traction over the rocky, dusty and sandy Martian surface. It’s an updated design based on the wheels used on the older Curiosity rover. Curiosity has been on Mars since 2012. Its wheels have taken a beating and have developed holes and cracks. So far, Perseverance’s wheels are holding up well.
Dwayne may be in for a long stay, or it may bail from the rover after only a short ride. Until it hops off, it gives Mars fans something to look out for when browsing Perseverance’s images. We’re all on rock watch now.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
