NASA’s latest Martian rover has begun a life full of perseverance. The rover is searching for rocks and dust to find evidence of ancient microbial life. It is also preparing to collect its first rock specimens that the upcoming mission will return to Earth again. The sampling process will take about 11 days as Rover uses all its instruments to locate the best rock and find similar material nearby.
The goal is a good sample and a pair that will be studied by the rover. Finally, in the next few years, NASA will collect data collected by Perspectives analyzed on Earth. Thomas Zurbuchen, the associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, said in a statement, “When Neil Armstrong first took samples from the Pacific Ocean 52 years ago, he began a process that could rewrite what humanity knew about the moon.”
“I have every expectation that Jezero is the first example of perseverance from the crater, and those who came after him will do the same for Mars. We are on the threshold of a new era of planetary science and discovery.” The original sample will be collected it will be measured to about the size of a piece of chalk, hermetically sealed, and stored. It may be the deepest and most ancient bit of the most popular Bedrock in J. Zarro from a small patch of the crater the working rover has explored since June 1st.
Hope has found evidence that Mars once had life, but perseverance will study much more than that. It is going to push the envelope to understand the geology of Mars. “Not every sample collected diligently will be in search of ancient life, and we do not expect this first sample to provide precise evidence in any way or in any way,” added Ken Farley, a scientist at Caltech’s Perseverance Project.
“While the rocks in this geological unit are not great time capsules for biological material, we believe they have existed since the formation of the Jezero Crater and are incredibly valuable in filling the gaps in our geological understanding of the region – things we desperately need once we are on Mars. Find out, but know.
