NASA’s Perseverance Rover recorded and sent back the first sound from the surface of Mars.
The clips were released on Monday, along with the new video recordings from the rover, as they landed on Thursday.
The sound was captured by two microphones mounted on Perseverance. In one of the clips, a noise is heard that sounds like a wind.
Perseverance successfully landed on the surface of Mars last week, seven months after it was launched into space.
Dave Gruel, chief engineer for the rover’s camera and microphone subsystem, said more clips will come from Mars as Perseverance continues its mission.
“We rely on both instruments to record truly amazing sounds from the surface of Mars,” Gruel said, according to NBC News.
Now that you’ve seen Mars, hear it. Grab some headphones and listen to the first sounds captured by one of my microphones. https://t.co/JswvAWC2IP#CountdownToMars
– Perseverance NASA Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 22, 2021
“Imagine sitting on the surface of Mars and listening to your surroundings,” Gruel said in a news briefing. “It’s cool. Really neat. Overwhelming, if you will.”
NASA released the first color photographs of Mars last week. According to NASA’s Hallie Gengl, the photos have “a very high resolution” compared to what was previously captured by NASA.
An open horizon with so much to explore. I can’t wait to get started. #CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/hAaxeVGs04
– Perseverance NASA Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 19, 2021