Is it cake? No, it's a parachute! | Space photo of the day for May 1, 2026

(Image credit: ESA-SJM Photography) Is it cake? No, but it's baked to perfection. In this donut-shaped bag is a massive parachute. And just like the confection it appears to be, it needs to be baked to get ready for Mars . What is it? Sitting wrapped up neatly in a donut-shaped bag sits a parachute measuring nearly 115 feet (35 meters) across and weighing 163 pounds (74 kilograms) — and it has to be baked in an oven to get prepared for Mars. But don't worry, the parachute was given time to cool down and rest after baking (we're serious). Article continues below This parachute, made primarily of nylon and Kevlar fabrics, was created for the European Space Agency's ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover , expected to launch to the Red Planet in 2028. Wondering why this Mars-bound parachute needs to be baked? Well, it's part of a mission-critical step known as planetary protection . In short, this step ensures the mission doesn't accidentally carry any hitchhiking microorganisms to Mars. Why is it incredible? The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover is expected to spend over two years (at least) exploring the Martian surface while searching for signs of life. The question of whether life has ever existed on Mars is one that scientists are eager to answer. And, with incredible findings from NASA's Curiosity rover spotting organic material on Mars to NASA's Perseverance rover finding possible signs of biosignatures , we seem to be getting closer to that answer. …