Nasa's Perseverance Mars rover listens to its rock-zapping laser

Read full article Jonathan Amos - BBC Science Correspondent10 March 2021, 9:46 pm·3-min read So, now we know what a laser sounds like on another world. The US space agency's Perseverance rover has deployed its SuperCam instrument on Mars for the first time. This high-intensity light probe can identify rocks at a distance. It's a technique that was also employed by Nasa's previous rover, Curiosity. But Perseverance has some enhancements, including a microphone that allows us to actually hear the laser at work. This isn't just some nice-to-have feature, a gimmick for PR purposes, but provides extra information that is useful to scientists. The sound of the laser hitting...