This 3D view shows a geologic feature that Mars Perseverance rover teams calls Raised Ridges. It was created from data collected by Ingenuity on its 10th Mars flight, July 24, 2021. Credit to NASA/JPL–CaltechAsk any space explorer and you'll find a favorite photograph from their mission. Kevin Hand, a NASA scientist and co-lead for the Perseverance Rover's first science campaign in Southern California, has a favorite 3D photo of low-lying wrinkles on the Jezero Crater's surface. This area is called "Raised Ridges" by the science team. NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter captured these stereo images on July 24, during its 10th flight.Hand said, "Ingenuity allows the Perseverance Science team to be at two places simultaneously." "Right now we are at the "Crater Floor Fractured Rough", where the rover prepares for its first Mars sample acquisition. Ingenuity, however, is showing us a detailed glimpse of potentially interesting geologic features located hundreds of metres away."Hand and his colleagues are intrigued by the Raised Ridges because they contain three distinct surface fractures which converge at one central point. Similar fractures found in desert environments could be clues to past liquid water activity, and therefore past habitability. Perseverance's science team is interested in finding out if the third rock from Sun is good enough for Marsand, if so what the Raised Ridges reveal about Mars' watery history.This image was taken by the Return to Earth camera aboard NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter. It was taken during its 10th flight to Mars on July 24, 2021. Credit to NASA/JPL–CaltechIngenuity captured these images during the most complicated flight of its history. It took off from its seventh airport and climbed to an altitude record of 40 feet (12 metres). After making four heading changes, the helicopter took 10 images using its color camera. Finally, it landed at a new airport. Combining two images from the helicopter gave the team a 3D image. This gives them a better perspective to plan their next steps.Hand said that 3D almost makes it feel like you can touch the Raised Ridges in 3D. The image is stunning in its detail and immersive beauty. You can see curious lines running across several rocks if you look closely. These lines could be caused by wind and dust blowing on the rocks. Or, might they tell us something about water? We don't yet know.These details are crucial. The team is looking into drilling a rock or sediment sample from the Raised Ridges to search for evidence of ancient life on Mars. This would require several Martian days or sols of driving. The images from Ingenuity give the team a better understanding of the science benefits and what they can expect. In the coming weeks, the science team will examine this and other 3D images obtained from Ingenuity to discuss the merits of such an expedition."Since landing in Jezero Crater it's obvious to all of us there are a lot of geologic riches that we can explore. It's a great problem to have," stated Ken Williford (deputy project scientist for Perseverance, JPL). "Ingenuity's aerial previews provide actionable data that allows us to narrow down our options and continue exploring Mars."Continue exploring NASA's Mars helicopter, which reveals fascinating terrain for the rover team
