In a whimsical twist of interplanetary miscommunication, social media buzzed with claims of “otherworldly wreckage” on Mars, captured in a NASA photo. However, the so-called alien debris was actually just earthly equipment—specifically the backshell and parachute of NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter. Taken on April 19, 2022, during the 26th flight of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, the photo features the protective aeroshell of the Perseverance rover. This crucial piece of technology, which braved temperatures around 2,700°F, helped the rover during its fiery descent into Mars’ atmosphere.
Ian Clark, involved with Perseverance’s parachute system, noted the image’s “sci-fi element,” echoing the allure of classic alien lore but confirming it’s very much a human-made object on an alien world. So next time you stumble upon Mars wreckage news, remember, it might just be NASA’s hardware taking a selfie in the cosmos.