Perseverance completes reserve sample storage on Mars
- January 31, 2023
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NASA’s Perseverance rover has completed a backup repository at Jezero Crater on the Red Planet and placed the last, tenth sample of air and soil rock there. This
NASA’s Perseverance rover has completed a backup repository at Jezero Crater on the Red Planet and placed the last, tenth sample of air and soil rock there. This
This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to Space.com.
As noted, all ten samples were packaged in tiny titanium tubes that would make it possible to pick them up and bring them back to Earth during a future mission. They contain a mixture of volcanic and sedimentary rocks. There are also samples from Martian soil and air. They are placed in a zigzag pattern at a distance of 5-15 meters from each other.
The rover will also store copies of the materials, and the titanium tubes themselves will remain on Mars should Perseverance fail to deliver them to Earth. According to the backup plan, two helicopters will be able to take them.
Perseverance will now rise and explore the Martian rocks. Once the rover passes what the researchers call Rocky Top, it will begin a new phase of the science mission, the Delta Top Campaign.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Perseverance rover of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) took a new selfie from the Red Planet.
Perseverance was delivered to Mars by the Ingenuity helicopter as part of a NASA exploration mission on February 18, 2021.
One of its missions is to collect rock samples on Mars, which will be taken to Earth by a special joint mission of the European Space Agency and NASA.
Source: Ukrinform
I’m Maurice Knox, a professional news writer with a focus on science. I work for Div Bracket. My articles cover everything from the latest scientific breakthroughs to advances in technology and medicine. I have a passion for understanding the world around us and helping people stay informed about important developments in science and beyond.