The Perseverance rover just recorded the Martian wind

"It's overwhelming, if you will."
By Mark Kaufman  on 
The Perseverance rover just recorded the Martian wind
The Skycrane lowering the Perservence rover to the Martian surface. Credit: nasa

The whoosh of the Martian wind is eerie.

NASA's recently-landed Perservance rover is the first rover to record sound on Mars, and the space agency released the car-sized robot's first recordings on Monday.

It's also the first time Martian sound has been recorded with a real microphone (NASA's InSight lander previously picked up some brief audio using a weather-monitoring instrument). To hear these new rover recordings, NASA recommends using headphones. At about six seconds into the short clip, you hear a wind gust on Mars, recorded on Feb. 20, 2021.

"We have recorded sounds from the surface of Mars," David Gruel, the mission's Entry, Descent, and Landing Camera Suite Lead, said at a press conference on Monday.

Listen below via SoundCloud.

Mashable Light Speed
Want more space and science stories in your inbox?
Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

And here's the 20-second clip from NASA's website. If you click on "Download Audio" you can also see the option to hear an unfiltered version of the recording, with the hum of the rover still in the background.

The Perseverance rover is equipped with two microphones, one atop the rover's mast (which hasn't been lifted yet) and one on the side of the robot. This first recording came from the microphone on the rover's side.

In the coming weeks, months, and years, the microphones will record wind, dust storms, and the rover zapping rocks with a laser.

"We think we'll hear Earth-like sounds on a planet that’s tens of millions of miles away," Bruce Betts, a planetary scientist at The Planetary Society, an organization that promotes the exploration of space, told Mashable last year.

Sounds on Mars, however, are a little different than sounds on Earth. As Mashable previously reported:

Anything recorded on Mars will sound differently than the same noise would on Earth. That's because the Martian atmosphere is much thinner than Earth's, and it's also composed largely of a different gas, carbon dioxide. (Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen.) A thinner atmosphere means sound has less of a medium to pass through (space and the moon, places with no atmosphere, are soundless). So Martian sounds will be quieter and won't travel nearly as far as those on Earth. A scream on Earth traveling over a kilometer would journey only some 16 yards on Mars.

The mission has just begun. There's many more extraterrestrial, far-off Martian sounds to come.

"It's overwhelming, if you will," said NASA's Gruel.

Mashable Image
Mark Kaufman

Mark is an award-winning journalist and the science editor at Mashable. After communicating science as a ranger with the National Park Service, he began a reporting career after seeing the extraordinary value in educating the public about the happenings in earth sciences, space, biodiversity, health, and beyond. 

You can reach Mark at [email protected].


Recommended For You
Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried arrives for a bail hearing at Manhattan Federal Court on August 11, 2023 in New York City. Federal prosecutors are asking U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan to revoke Bankman-Fried's bail and to be jailed until his October criminal trial. Bankman-Fried who has pleaded not guilty to multiple conspiracy and fraud charges was accused of witness tampering after the New York Times published a story featuring personal documents of Caroline Ellison, former Alameda Research CEO. Judge Kaplan will also hear arguments on the gag order placed on Bankman-Fried that was placed as part of his bail agreement for the alleged witness tampering.

Meta and Google fuel abortion misinformation across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, report finds
In this photo illustration, a person looks at an Abortion Pill from Mifepristone displayed on a computer.


Amazon Pharmacy launches same-day prescription delivery in New York and LA
A photograph of an Amazon box with medicines.


More in Science
How to watch 'Lisa Frankenstein' at home: When is it streaming?
Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse in 'Lisa Frankenstein'


How to watch NC State vs. Marquette basketball without cable
DJ Horne #0 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack drives to the basket as Blake Lampman #11 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies defends during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

How to watch Gonzaga vs. Purdue basketball without cable
Purdue Boilermakers guard Lance Jones (55) starts a fast break during the Purdue Boilermakers versus the Utah State Aggies in the second round of the NCAA Division I Championship on March 24, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

How to watch Tennessee vs. Creighton basketball without cable
Ryan Kalkbrenner #11 of the Creighton Bluejays goes to the basket in the first half of the game against the Oregon Ducks during the second round of the 2024 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 23, 2024, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 28
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 28
Closeup view of crossword puzzle clues

Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for March 28
a phone displaying Wordle


NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for March 27
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!