--- title: "NASA Accuses NASA of Littering on Mars" description: "NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted something interesting tucked into a boulder — but NASA confirmed it was just a regular ol' piece of human trash." date: "2022-06-16" modified: "2022-06-16" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-accuses-nasa-mars-litter" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "mars" - "perseverance" - "space debris" - "the digest" --- # NASA Accuses NASA of Littering on Mars ![NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted something interesting tucked into a boulder — but NASA confirmed it was just a regular ol' piece of human trash.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Gotcha! J'accuse... moi? As it rolled its way [through the beautiful Jezero Crater](), NASA's Perseverance Mars rover spotted something interesting tucked into a small boulder. Upon closer inspection, the robot's team was able to confirm that it was not, in fact, a sign of extraterrestrial life — just a regular ol' piece of human trash, which NASA believes came from, well, NASA. "My team has spotted something unexpected," [tweeted the rover](), or at least its longsuffering social media manager. "It’s a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, the rocket-powered jet pack that set me down on landing day back in 2021." ## Litterbugs Space debris — which has proven itself to be a [threat to astronauts](), [the Earth](), and, increasingly, the other pristine, human-less celestial bodies in our solar system — is a growing concern that off-planet industries have had to grapple with in recent years. Thus, coming across a bit of litter on the Red Planet [isn't necessarily a surprise](), although the location of the garbage did throw the Perseverance team for a bit of a loop. As the roving robot elegantly pondered, [again on twitter](): "My descent stage crashed about 2 km away. Did this piece land here after that, or was it blown here by the wind?" But unlike [Katy Perry's enduring metaphor](), wherein the plastic bag drifting through the air might one day start again, there's not yet a reduce, reuse, recycle plan on the Red Planet. Unless it takes to the wind once more, this fragment of [NASA waste]() will likely stay put for quite a while. **READ MORE:** [*NASA's Perseverance rover captured images of its own litter, and it shows how Mars is becoming a junkyard*]() \[*Business Insider*\] **More on Mars machines:** [*New Video Shows Mars Helicopter Screaming Across Alien Landscape*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()