On Monday, NASA released the first video of the persistent rover’s arrival on Mars, a mission that attracted the world’s attention.
However, the most attentive looked at the figures on the parachute during the descent. Its arrangement was away from the typical squares or stripes that an umbrella usually has because it hides a message in its abstract drawing.
Internet users in a collaborative effort tried to decode it through platforms such as Twitter x Reddit. One of the first hypotheses that was circulated proved that the hidden message corresponds, in Morse code, to the initials of JPL (NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory or “Jet Propulsion Laboratory”).
The color patterns on the Perseverance chute have "JPL" hidden in morse code! pic.twitter.com/XVJVrHR3sV
— Joey Murphy (@Spacecomm_Joey) February 22, 2021
However, Adam Nelson, one of the camera engineers in the Operations Center, revealed this theory in a virtual space on Reddit, open to questions and answers about the mission.
Two hours later, another user ventured in and suggested that the message match three words: Dare Mighty Things, Without explaining how he came to this conclusion.
This second theory was shared by many other hobbyists and even endorsed by a computer science student, who concluded the same thing.
Method used
@NASAPersevere @NASA My father and I found these three words hidden in the patterns of the lander's parachute !
— Abela_Paf (@FrenchTech_paf) February 22, 2021
According to what they posted on Twitter, letters are inferred using binary code. Zeros are white and red ones. With this criterion, the circuit is divided into several sectors. Each of them corresponds to a binary number, and the corresponding letter for each of these numbers is assigned in alphabetical order.
That way they came to the conclusion. In the first circle the word “DARE” is read, in the second circle “MIGHTY” and in the third “things”. “Daring over things” (Rejoice in the great things in Spanish).
A (partial) explanation of the code in Perseverance's parachute, cracked by @FrenchTech_paf with a contribution by @pramirez624.
Can you decipher the final message? pic.twitter.com/DO8sj9fEdw
— Meithan West (@meithan42) February 23, 2021
The meaning of the message
“Dare to do mighty things,” the subtle message that the parachute supposedly concealed is a slogan JPL And it has already been used, for example, with the Curiosity robot. It is a phrase widely used by NASA professionals. In addition to this, recently they have integrated it in their social media communications.
The moment that my team dreamed of for years, now a reality. Dare mighty things. #CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/8SgV53S9KG
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 19, 2021
Users are still waiting for some confirmation from a member of NASA or an authority that can certify the latest discount. So far, Allen Chen, engineer of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and one of the protagonists of Mission Perseverance, tweeted from his account: “We are almost close” (“Close”), about the latest theory. Everything seems to indicate that netizens have come up with the correct answer .
