Look: 9 stunning images from Mars missions in 2022

Dispatch Exploring the Red Planet, one dust storm at a time. by Jennifer Walter Updated: Feb. 20, 2024 Originally Published: Dec. 23, 2022 NASA/JPL-Caltech

Credits: NASA, ESA, and STScI With eyes on the Red Planet from nearly every angle, we’re learning more about Mars than at any time in history.

Orbiters, rovers, and other spacecraft documented countless Mars oddities this year. Some were tiny and dug up from the dust, while others were miles-long geological formations observed from above. NASA/JPL-Caltech

And a few spacecraft, such as NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter and InSight rover, captured milestones in their missions this year.

NASA/JPL-Caltech Here are 9 iconic images from Mars missions in 2022:

9. Dusty dunes NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

From orbit, the HiRISE camera onboard NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter monitored expansive dunes such as these (imaged in enhanced color).

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

8. Mysterious terrain NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

HiRISE also spied unexplained phenomena, such as the strangely-shaped deposits in this crater.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UArizona

7. Looking back, looking forward NASA/JPL-Caltech

On the surface, the Perseverance rover looked back at its tracks on Martian day 381 of its mission.

6. Up, up, and away NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter completed its longest and fastest flight on Mars while capturing this time-lapse.

5. Mars junk NASA/JPL-Caltech

Ingenuity spied the flattened remains of its landing gear from when it touched down on Mars in 2021.

4. Rocky curiosities NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

The Curiosity rover spotted many oddities on the Martian surface, such as this flower-shaped rock smaller than a penny.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

3. Alien door? NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

This formation spotted by Curiosity might look like the doorway to an alien’s house. But at only a foot tall, it’s just an outcropping made by erosion.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

2. Up close and personal NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

Perseverance surveyed its surroundings in the Jezero Crater, eyeing spots like the eroded edge of this delta.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS

1. Goodbye, InSight NASA/JPL-Caltech