Nasa names Mars rock after Rolling Stones
- Actor Robert Downey Jnr announced the name before the band’s performance at a California stadium
- The space agency named a stone for the rockers after its InSight robotic lander captured it rolling across the surface of Mars last year
There is now a “Rolling Stones Rock” on Mars, and it’s giving Mick, Keith and the boys some serious satisfaction.
Nasa named a little stone for the legendary rockers after its InSight robotic lander captured it rolling across the surface of Mars last year, and the new moniker was made public at Thursday night’s Rolling Stones’ concert at the Rose Bowl.
“Nasa has given us something we have always dreamed of, our very own rock on Mars. I cannot believe it,” Mick Jagger told the crowd after grooving through a rendition of “Tumbling Dice.” ‘’I want to bring it back and put it on our mantelpiece.”
Robert Downey Jnr announced the name, taking the stage just before the band’s set at the Southern California stadium that is just a stone’s throw from Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages InSight.
“Cross-pollinating science and a legendary rock band is always a good thing,” the “Iron Man” actor said backstage.