TEMPLE, Texas — Boldy going where no man has gone before.
NASA's Curiosity Mars rover recently discovered a sight on the Red Planet that might look familiar to science fiction fans.
An image from the rover shared by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) shows a Martian rock that bears a heavy resemblance to the iconic Starfleet emblem from "Star Trek".
Story continues below
The image was reportedly taken by the rover's Left Navigation Camera on Sol (a day on Mars) 4,062 of the mission, which was Jan. 9 on Earth.
According to NASA's Curiosity Rover webpage, the rover, which originally landed on Mars in August 2012, has been exploring the undiscovered country of Gale Crater since its first contact at the beginning of its mission, and a map shows that it is currently making its way up and towards Aeolis Mons, also known as Mount Sharp.
An article by Elizabeth Howell of Space.com stated that Curiosity is studying the conditions of life on Mars, and looking at the layers embedded into Mount Sharp to collect data on how water flowed on the Red Planet in the ancient past.
Interestingly enough, this is not the first time an "enterprising" mission has spotted the Starfleet insignia on Mars. In June 2019, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted another feature on the Martian surface that looked like the famous symbol, according to Space.com, which even prompted a response from William Shatner himself.
For more on the Curiosity Rover, including its current mission, latest updates and an interactive map, visit this link.
More space stories from 6 News: