NASA preps for Perseverance Mars rover to collect first sample of Martian rock

After making a landing in February, NASA is finally making preparations for its Perseverance Mars rover to collect its first-ever sample of Martian Rock. The collected sample will be transported to Earth later in the future planned missions. The six-wheeled rover is looking for a scientifically interesting target in a part of Jezero Crater called the "Cratered Floor Fractured Rough."

NASA on Perseverance Mars rover

According to a press release issued by NASA, the mission is expected to begin within the next two weeks. The rover landed on February 18 and NASA started the rover mission's science phase on June 1, which explored a 1.5 square-mile patch of crater floor that may contain Jezero's deepest and most ancient layers of exposed bedrock. 

Talking on the mission, associate administrator for science at NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen said, "When Neil Armstrong took the first sample from the Sea of Tranquility 52 years ago, he began a process that would rewrite what humanity knew about the Moon."

"I have every expectation that Perseverance's first sample from Jezero Crater, and those that come after, will do the same for Mars. We are on the threshold of a new era of planetary science and discovery", he added. 

Rover's sample collection mission

The sample collection process will begin with the rover placing everything necessary for sampling within reach of its 7-foot long robotic arm. After that, it will perform an imagery survey, so NASA's science team can determine the exact location for taking the first sample, and a separate target site in the same area of "proximity science."

Sampling will be done with the help of five major instruments which are SHERLIC, PIXL, WATSON, SuperCam, and Mastcam-Z. 

Perseverance Mission on Mars

The Perseverance's mission on Mars has been initiated with an aim towards astrobiology. It will be searching for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will also characterize the planet's geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and catch Martian rock and regolith.

(Source: ANI)