Video Captures Rocket's Sonic Boom as It Launches Rover to Mars
The visual effect of the Atlas rocket that launched NASA’s Perseverance rover breaking the sound barrier was captured by Jared Locke, a photographer based in Florida, on July 30.
At about 0:40 into Locke’s video, a corona referred to by scientists as a vapor cone, shock collar, or shock egg can be seen at the nose of the rocket.
Perseverance is expected to land in the Jezero Crater on Mars on February 18, 2021, according to the mission website, and will explore the planet’s geology, collect samples, and search for “signs of past microbial life.”
NASA is also sending a small helicopter, Ingenuity, to Mars. The twin-rotor, solar-powered helicopter will become the first powered aircraft to fly on another planet.
Storyful’s collection of launch footage can be found here. Credit: Jared Locke via Storyful
