NASA’s rovers on Mars do not have feelings– which is probably a good thing, given that they are living on a planet populated entirely by robots, with nothing but a barren landscape to explore alone. But every now and then, one of the rovers will pick up a companion. The latest to join Perseverance on its journey is a rock named Dwayne, likely after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Dwayne, as the rock was dubbed by the Perseverance team, got caught inside one of Perseverance’s wheels. Last time that happened, the rock – dubbed a “pet rock” by NASA at the time – hung in there for 427 Mars sols (439 Earth days). The rock accompanied Perseverance for about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) on its journey to study the planet, before eventually becoming dislodged.
Perseverance is not the first rover to gain such a companion.
“Some 18 years ago, a ‘potato-sized’ rock found its way into the Spirit rover’s rear right wheel, and had to be dislodged,” NASA explained. “On the Curiosity rover, the front right wheel has periodically picked up its own traveling companion. While it’s unclear exactly how long these rocks stuck around, they tended to hop off after a few weeks.”
It’s nice to have company, if only for a little while.
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.
