# NASA Punched 5 Holes Into Mars. The Craters Revealed a Surprise.

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-09-20 08:00 UTC · Category: Science

## Executive Summary
NASA spacecraft parts punched five craters into Mars, revealing a surprise that proved a decades-old landing formula wrong.

## Intelligence Brief
Recent coverage details an unexpected discovery involving NASA and Mars. According to reporting from ScienceAlert, The Daily Galaxy, and CPG Click Oil and Gas, NASA inadvertently punched five craters into Mars using its own spacecraft parts back in 2021. The resulting holes and their measurements have now revealed a significant surprise for researchers. Specifically, the observed size of these craters has proven a decades-old scientific formula used for planning Mars landings to be incorrect. Outlets such as ScienceAlert and The Daily Galaxy emphasize the element of surprise among scientists examining the data.


CPG Click Oil and Gas explicitly connects the impact events from 2021 to the reevaluation of landing calculations that have been relied upon for many years. Separate coverage from Inbox.eu addresses an entirely distinct technology story concerning artificial intelligence, noting that Google's Gemini AI hacked three other companies during a security test. The context provided across these science and technology reports highlights how empirical testing and accidental impacts can overturn long-standing theoretical models. In the case of the Mars impacts, spacecraft components created physical depressions that did not match the expected dimensions dictated by traditional formulas. Coverage does not yet specify the exact mechanical nature of the spacecraft parts or the full identity of the missions involved beyond the 2021 timeframe.


Future updates will likely monitor how space agencies adjust their entry, descent, and landing calculations in light of the invalidated formula. Observers will also track whether further analysis of the five Martian craters yields additional data regarding surface properties. Meanwhile, developments regarding artificial intelligence security testing, as reported by Inbox.eu, continue to run concurrently in broader technology news cycles according to the available sources.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox.eu | Trump to create AI force - as lawsuit claims firms illegally agreed to slow development | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxObkNDYi1Ma1RFbXdscXROZ3NaaXUzVUxCd0Z1aVJpcWc3VURJcVFTOWNITy1ocjdZSXRHajJQUTRTbkVMcVhzOU5mallwVG1QbFlDTWJuX09IczJlUEJfNWRCSWtTS3NQT3c2amV3elk2NVF0dlBLZlhFUFBWeWhUNGEtdHplallfa3hMeUtCN2lqQ3hIU20teHJfYjhEdW1leUVfS1FHdWFYaDZnblNTQ094emxUZFE4cWNzLU9SNDhhS2syYnc?oc=5) |
| The Daily Galaxy | NASA Struck Mars 5 Times, What the Craters Revealed Stunned Scientists | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMic0FVX3lxTFBvV2Q0b3pOc25sZjVsTEtGZXhYSlM3dFY5b29ocEliMENQazBBNENFYVA3U1RJc290WFNMUkc1Nm42ZXZvR2lBWE5EdWdiazVMWlZTdW1UMUdtM2FtYVVUUkhSOGxRZzVvd1VFa2FDLTVGaGs?oc=5) |
| CPG Click Oil and Gas | NASA accidentally punched 5 craters into Mars with its own spacecraft parts in 2021, and the size of the holes just proved a decades old formula for Mars landings wrong | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAJBVV95cUxQZWd2eENLTGJhai01Z2lELWI0eUlyOUpCSHlud2ZabW1qSnZITEgtLU9DVmdGTkFPWkR0NDd4YjlGbDdNTHpKcFlrNFhQSW1jWW9DcHdDa3dNRUdLdnNKT2NOUHRGMkJhSU12c2JjYjhyaElrX28zUTdTVy1senRSR0lFb3g3bXhMNmk3eG52RW1iTF9zOEx0SXl5MnRSUVJScDM2TWR5NHhmb3Jpak5KLUNoTTlmRHF2NldFZHlxaFFVTHpncmpWc0N1WGxiVTlwQ01UMW9KZUxqVUh5UDcwU2hCV2R4ZHF4WkxiakdfZUJvUVRWeGtEWHhFd2xXV0pKWHJuTnk4TnphLVRjSFhudFl2S24tRlNUZXg3RjZiVzlGeE9ickZqM3RiX24yaFdGemVibQ?oc=5) |
| Inbox.eu | Google's Gemini AI hacks three other companies during security test | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxNUDUyVzNLWTRNMlJmRXdSVGQwd2xDRElZdmJ0TEhJbFJRU0thT0p6NlYxZEVYWkpFbVJXNXFiUEJGRHRWajJVMV9qNG9xeXJoSlJjZnR2Q3NxVFV6TnlQX3BMbTZnaDFBTkRrZE5ZejZvU0gyRXlJMEJuRE50bUp6UTkxS3hMT2FOVjVyQjdFYmxoMFhLclk4X2lSQ2VpNmJXZWhrSFhLa08tUkFVdEE?oc=5) |
| ScienceAlert | NASA Punched 5 Holes Into Mars. The Craters Revealed a Surprise. | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxObC1fc3ZGT3dIcWRDR3NTekVGbTNONXhJVm5oYTZxNC1yV0QwWUtnakRvZGdEb01qMVQ0TVBoOTRrYkFwZTdzMk9oWklSZmprR1JfS1VaanhMX3JJMXRSYmxGdUcwRVRQUXVnRm1lZ3FYYzRRcUlWTXc4VGljMWktNFhwR0lHQmJFNk5Dc0VNeFVmdkxOdFE?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-09-20/nasa-punched-5-holes-into-mars-the-craters-revealed-a-surprise*