How Rolling Stones Nasa Names Rolling Rock On Mars

NASA gave the name to the small rock after its robot explorer InSight captured it rolling on the surface of Mars.

NASA named a rolling rock on Mars the Rolling Stones , the rock band itself revealed during a concert at Rose Bowl Stadium, with the help of actor Robert Downey Jr.

“ NASA gave us something we always dreamed of : our own rock on Mars. I can’t believe it, ”Mick Jagger told his audience Thursday night. "I want to bring it up and put it on our shelf," he added after moving to the beat of "Tumbling Dice."

NASA named the small rock after its robot rover InSight captured it rolling on the surface of Mars last year.

Downey Jr. announced the name onstage just before the band went up in the Southern California stadium, which is near the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which operates InSight.

"Bringing together science and a legendary rock band is always good," said the Iron Man actor backstage.

Downey Jr. told attendees that the JPL scientists came up with the name "in an attack of hobby and ingenious association."

"Charlie, Ronnie, Keith and Mick, they weren’t opposed to the idea at all," said Downey, "But in typical egalitarian fashion, they suggested that it help get 60,000 votes and make it official, so that’s my mission."

He directed the assembled to shout "yes" before declaring that the task had been accomplished. Jagger added later, "I want to especially thank our favorite action figure Robert Downey Jr. It was a great introduction he gave."

The rock, little larger than a golf ball, was moved by InSight’s thrusters as the rover landed on Mars on November 26.

It barely moved about three feet (0.9 meters), but it’s the farthest NASA has ever seen a rock move while landing a spacecraft on another planet.

"I’ve seen a lot of rocks from Mars move in my career," said Matt Golombek, a geologist at JPL who has assisted NASA on all of its missions to Mars since 1997, said in a statement. It is one of the most pleasant ”.