--- title: "NASA Releases First-Ever Recording of Sound on Mars" description: "NASA released the first ever recordings of sounds on Mars. Learn how these sounds were picked up by the Mars Rover's microphones." date: "2021-02-22" modified: "2021-03-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-releases-first-recordings-sound-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "JPL" - "mars" - "NASA" - "perseverance" - "the digest" --- # NASA Releases First-Ever Recording of Sound on Mars ![NASA released the first ever microphone recordings taken on the surface of Mars, as picked up by one of the Perseverance Mars rover's two microphones.]() *\Image: NASA/Victor Tangermann\* ## Martian Breeze As if [video footage]() of a NASA rover landing on Mars wasn't enough, now the agency has blessed us with another incredible recording. NASA [released]() the first ever audio recordings taken on the surface of Mars, as picked up by one of the Perseverance Mars rover's two microphones. Skip to ten seconds in and you'll be able to hear an audible Martian breeze. The high-pitched frequencies are made by the rover itself. https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1363937472971907072 ## Microphone Check The news comes after NASA's InSight Mars lander picked up eerie sounds of the Martian surface using the lander's seismometer and air pressure sensor, which was hailed as the [first time the sounds of Mars were ever heard]() back on Earth. But now, rather than relying on air pressure readings as a proxy, Perseverance has captured the real thing: a "commercial off-the-shelf" microphone, [according to NASA](), specifically for picking up sounds during entry, descent, and landing (EDL). Perseverance's second microphone is attached to its SuperCam instrument, a boom on the rover's head that can identify minerals and rock compositions. ## Enhanced Experience "We know the public is fascinated with Mars exploration, so we added the EDL Cam microphone to the vehicle because we hoped it could enhance the experience, especially for visually-impaired space fans, and engage and inspire people around the world," Dave Gruel, lead engineer for the instruments at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, said in [a statement](). There have been previous attempts to bring microphones to Mars, but oddly enough, Perseverance is the first to do so successfully. Both NASA's Mars Polar Lander and Phoenix Lander had microphones with them, but they either [failed or never turned on](). **READ MORE:** [NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover Provides Front-Row Seat to Landing, First Audio Recording of Red Planet]() \[NASA\] **More on Perseverance:** *[NASA Releases Video of Perseverance Touching Down on Mars]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()