Perseverance’s most outta-this-world images of 2021

It’s been a big year for everyone, including the tenacious robot that’s been traversing the rocky hills and valleys of Mars, the Perseverance rover.

Perseverance successfully landed on the Red Planet in mid-February. Its initial mission: surveillance. It was Perseverance’s job to take pictures showing what Mars looks like up close and personal. Then, in May, it pivoted to scientist mode, and began conducting science experiments — a lot of hitting rocks with lasers! — to help us earthlings gain a better understanding of our close planetary neighbor.

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Still, Perseverance continued to take photographs and send back its Martian dispatches to NASA. For the past 10 months, the public has been voting on a “picture of the week” from Perseverance’s photo dumps. NASA compiled the most-liked images into a cache of 44 snapshots.

Below are our favorites, including images of the Martian surface and of course, some Perseverance selfies. Enjoy.

Week 1’s picture of the week was a moody black and white POV shot.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Week 4’s pic of the week shows that the key to a good selfie is also getting that horizon line right.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Impressed with Perseverance’s Week 6 photography skills! Capturing that depth with multiple layers of terrain when it’s all a reddish-tan color  is no easy feat!
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Has Perseverance been listening to Coldplay? Because the only way to describe Week 10 is to call it yellow.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

And you thought your iPhone could take a macro shot! This extreme-close up of a martian rock from Week 15 is brought to you by Perseverance’s “Super Cam.”
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This Martian rock from Week 16 looks like it’s seen better days.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Arrakis ain’t got nothin’ on this most-liked photo of Mars from Week 33.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

OK…. On Mars, do rocks float?! Nah, that’s just the photo from Week 36 playin tricks on ya.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

On Week 39, Perseverance sent back high-quality intel of the perfect place to put a human butt.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

We’re looking forward to more other-worldly communiqués from Perseverance in 2022.