Engineers hinted that they hid an encrypted message in a parachute, with which the Perseverance rover landed. It took enthusiasts several hours to solve this puzzle.

When NASA's Perseverance rover crossed the atmosphere of Mars last week , the video camera on the device recorded the dizzying deployment of the parachute, decorated with red-orange and white spots.

A secret message was encoded in these spots.

During a press conference on Monday, Allen Chen , the engineer in charge of the landing system spoke about what could be seen and learned from the slow-motion video.

He added, cryptically and nonchalantly, that his team hopes to inspire others. “Sometimes we leave messages in our work so others can find them and get a dose of motivation,” he said. "Therefore, we invite all of you to participate and show your work."