That investigation could provide insight into eons of Martian history. There, it would analyze the deep layers of rock cut in the Martian crust, which were exposed by a space object that struck the planet and created this crater billions of years ago. After that, it's likely to get an extended mission that could take it up the crater's 1,600-foot rim. The robot can also move about three times faster than its predecessors, so it could cover up to 10 miles in its first Mars year (two Earth years). NASA's Perseverance team expects the rover to gather its first samples sometime in the summer. It can capture images of rocks and soil in ultraviolet and visible light, probe them with radar, scan with X-rays to determine their composition, and search for organic compounds with a laser. The rover carries seven scientific instruments that can analyze Martian rocks. By collecting samples, Perseverance could help scientists learn about all kinds of environments on the red planet. Various mineral deposits across the crater's bed, the river delta, the ancient shorelines, and the crater rim hold a wide variety of rocks and soil. Mission Name: Mars 2020 Rover Name: Perseverance Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth. Jezero Crater is the most dangerous landing site that any Mars mission has ever targeted, but the payoff could be great. We expect samples of Mars to provide new knowledge for decades to come."Īn illustration of Perseverance exploring Mars' Jezero Crater. "Even now, NASA continues to study moon samples returned by the Apollo program more than 50 years ago. "Samples from Mars have potential to profoundly change our understanding of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system," Lori Glaze, the director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, said in a briefing ahead of the landing. NASA plans to send another mission to retrieve those vials and bring them back to Earth in the 2030s. The rover carries 43 sample tubes so that it can stash samples of rock and soil. Once the space drone has flown, Perseverance can begin hunting for signs of long-gone alien microbes. After that, it's set to release the first interplanetary helicopter for some test flights. It often indicates a user profile.Īn illustration of Jezero Crater as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake.īut first, the rover will spend the next few weeks checking all of its systems and instruments. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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