By Tim Binnall
An unlikely 'friendship' that blossomed on Mars has come to an end as NASA's Perseverance Rover has finally shed the 'pet rock' that got stuck in its wheel over a year ago. The sizeable stone was reportedly first photographed attached to the exploratory vehicle in early February of 2022 and sparked headlines in June when the space agency showcased the image while marveling that the 'hitchhiker' had managed to remain in place for all that time. However, it turns out that this was just the start of the rock's epic adventure with the rover.
In the ensuing months, the 'duo' amazingly remained together as vehicle made all manner of maneuvers while traveling the surface of the Red Planet. In turn, the 'pet rock' developed something of a cult following online thanks to its repeated appearances in various images snapped by the rover. Alas, after a staggering 439 days, NASA revealed last week that the peculiar pair of traveling companions had parted ways when they released a new photo which showed that the rock was now gone. One can only hope that the split was amicable and not the result of tensions flaring during the inordinately long 'road trip.'