Symbolic Messages Adorn JPL’s Perseverance Mars Rover

Packed amid myriad scientific instruments on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-built Perseverance Mars rover currently en route to Mars, the rover has been “festooned” with five special elements of symbolic value, according to JPL.

The rover, which is slated to land on Mars on Feb. 18, includes a plaque recognizing the challenges and losses of the COVID-19 pandemic, another expressing humanities search for extraterrestrial life, a piece of Martian meteorite making its return trip home, a geocaching marker to allow the public to follow along on the exploration, and microchips containing the names of 10.9 million people who signed up to have their monikers flown to Mars, according to a statement issued by JPL.

Although they may not lead to scientific discovery, the decorations are nonetheless an important part of any spacecraft’s design, said Perseverance Mastcam-Z Principal Investigator Jim Bell of the University of Arizona. He has helped adorn, or “festoon,” nearly all of NASA’s Mars rovers.

“These kinds of embellishments add artistic elements on missions that are otherwise solely dominated by science and technology, as well as lasting tributes to colleagues who have helped pave the way for humanity’s exploration of space,” he said.

The choices for Perseverance “range from practical to playful,” according to the JPL statement.

The rover’s Mastcam-Z instrument has a calibration target that allows scientists to check the camera’s color settings. It’s shaped in the form of a sundial for educational purposes, and bears the motto “Two worlds one beginning,” the statement said. 

“There’s also a man and woman similar to those on the Pioneer plaques and the Golden Record,” the statement continued. “It’s all in tribute to Perseverance’s astrobiology mission, searching for signs of ancient microbial life on the planet’s surface.”

Just out of view of the calibration target, an inscription reads: “Are we alone? We came here to look for signs of life, and to collect samples of Mars for study on Earth. To those who follow, we wish a safe journey and the joy of discovery. Also included is the phrase “Joy of Discovery” in numerous languages.

The Perseverance rover’s Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals, or SHERLOC instrument is fitted with a series of material samples, such as space suit cloth and visor glass, to see how they weather on Mars. It works in tandem with the appropriately named “Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering, or WATSON camera.

Included in SHERLOC’s calibration target is a piece of spacesuit visor inscribed with the street address of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes of 221B Baker Street, and also serves as a geocaching target for Earthbound enthusiasts of the hobby to track, JPL said.

The geologists involved in the preparation of the rover’s SuperCam imparted their own bit of style, adorning the instrument with a fragment of Martian meteorite that had previously taken a trip to the space station, according to the institution.

An aluminum plate on the left side of the rover depicts an image of the Earth supported by the Rod of Asclepius, an ancient symbol for healing and medicine.

“The rover team wanted to recognize the challenges faced by the global community and honor the many healthcare workers who have risked their lives to help those affected by the pandemic,” the statement said.

Another small plate affixed to Perseverance contains three microchips, which store names submitted by 10.9 million space enthusiasts, along with the 155 finalist essays from Perseverance’s “Name the Rover” contest.

“Visible to the cameras on the rover’s mast, the chips share space on a metal plate located at the center of Perseverance’s aft crossbeam and adorned with a laser-etched graphic depicting Earth and Mars joined by the star that gives light to both,” the statement said. “The phrase ‘Explore as one,’ written in Morse code in the Sun’s rays, connects the two. But the simple illustration also connects this mission with the Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft and their festooning.”

More information on the Perseverance Mars rover is available online at.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance-rover.

See also:

JPL’s Perseverance Rover Reaches Midway Point on Trip to Mars

JPL’s Perseverance Mars Rover Carries Experimental Device to Create Oxygen on the Red Planet