NASA’s Perseverance rover retains dropping early Christmas presents on Mars.
On Friday (Dec. 23), NASA introduced that Perseverance efficiently dropped its second rock pattern tube on the Martian floor. And whereas it is not the primary Mars pattern Perseverance has dropped for a possible future mission to carry to Earth in 2033, it actually is the most important.
“My second pattern drop is trying good!” NASA’s Perseverance rover crew wrote in a Twitter update (opens in new tab) Friday. “This tube holds a chunk of sedimentary rock from the sting of the traditional river delta right here — the longest rock core I’ve taken so far.”
Associated: 12 amazing photos from the Perseverance’s 1st year on Mars
The longest rock core collected by Perseverance is a pattern referred to as “Mageik,” which the rover drilled out of the rock “Amalik” this fall from the “Enchanted Lake” area of historic delta in its Jezero Crater touchdown web site.Â
“The tube itself is concerning the dimension of a marker, and I measured the rock core pattern inside at 7.36 cm (about 2.9 inches),” NASA wrote as Perseverance on Twitter (opens in new tab). Perseverance dropped its first sample tube at a close-by spot on Wednesday (Dec. 21).
Perseverance is dropping 10 sealed tubes containing Mars rock samples, which resemble miniature lightsabers from Star Wars, for potential assortment by a future Mars Pattern Return mission. That mission and an orbiter may launch to Mars by 2028 and return the pattern tubes to Earth 5 years later. If all goes in response to plan, Perseverance or two small helicopters will ship Mars samples to a lander that will then launch them into space so {that a} ready orbiter can gather them for the journey again to Earth.
The samples Perseverance is dropping are backups. The rover collected twin samples at every drill web site, storing one inside its physique whereas dropping the opposite in case a backup is required. Perseverance is predicted to ship those it carries to the ready lander if the nuclear-powered lasts lengthy sufficient to achieve the Mars Sample Return lander on the finish of the last decade.
NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars in February 2021. It is major mission will final two years, however NASA hopes the rover may stay for much longer. Its predecessor, the nuclear-powered Curiosity rover, just lately celebrated its 10th anniversary on Mars in August.Â
Electronic mail Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or comply with him @tariqjmalik (opens in new tab). Comply with us @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab), Facebook (opens in new tab) and Instagram (opens in new tab).
