After failing the first attempt, the Perseverance rover has now managed to collect the first Martian rock sample and lock it tightly in a tube.
The Perseverance rover has finally succeeded in taking rock samples on the surface of Mars. NASA via uploads on Twitter sharing images of the first rock samples Mars which the rover collected into a tube brought from Earth.
Reported from Digital Trends (7/9), NASA chief Bill Nelson described this successful collection effort as a “significant achievement.” Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for Science, said it was a “historic moment.”
“Just as the Apollo moon missions demonstrated the enduring scientific value of returning samples from other worlds for analysis here (Earth), we will do the same with samples Perseverance collected as part of our Mars Sample Return program. Using the most advanced scientific instruments on Earth, we expect amazing discoveries in various fields of science, including the question of whether there was ever life on Mars.”
It’s official: I’ve now captured, sealed, and stored the first core sample ever drilled on another planet, in a quest to return samples to Earth. It’s the first in a one-of-a-kind Martian rock collection. #SamplingMars
Read more: https://t.co/bs4Hd4Fzyw pic.twitter.com/2jwF7cOcMZ
– NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) September 6, 2021
To note, Perseverance had previously failed in collecting its first rock samples. Since then, JPL has sent the rover to a more stable structure to increase the chances of getting samples.
Perseverance carried out the extraction process last week, but JPL needs to carry out additional checks to ensure the collected samples are completely sealed in the tube. In addition, the sample is said to be slightly thicker than a pencil, and as shown in the image, is enclosed in an airtight titanium tube. Samples may not be brought to Earth until the 2030s, until engineers find the right way to bring them from the red planet.
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