Perseverance rover drops off first sample tube on surface of Mars
A titanium tube that looks a bit like a steampunk telescope has been dropped off by the plucky Perseverance rover, stuffed with a Mars rock sample that NASA astrobiologists are hoping might reveal traces of ancient microbial life.
But before the most difficult part – sending spacecraft from Earth to Mars in a joint NASA/ESA mission to collect the sealed samples and return them to Earth for analysis – the team had to make sure the multibillion-dollar mission didn't metaphorically shoot itself in the foot by crunching the sample beneath the rover's wheels.
The tubes are just backups, however. Perseverance will also keep duplicate samples in its belly. The titanium tube samples being deposited on the surface are there in case the little rover doesn't make its 2028 date with the future robotic lander. That lander's job will be to take the samples and use its robotic arm to place them in a containment capsule aboard a small rocket that would then blast off to Mars orbit.
Belgique Dernières Nouvelles, Belgique Actualités
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