– It’s official! You have now collected, sealed and stored the first nuclear sample drilled on another planet, in an attempt to return the samples to Earth. It’s the first in a unique group of rocks from March, according to a NASA Perseverance mission report Twitter.
The sample, which is slightly thicker than a pencil, was collected on September 1, but NASA wasn’t initially sure if the robot had managed to nurture the valuable sample because the first images were not clear.
New photos are taken, and the persistence robot can then measure the base sample, take more photos and store it in an airtight container.
“This is a huge achievement, and I can’t wait to see the amazing results provided by perseverance and our team,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.
The Perseverance mission is to search for signs of ancient life on Mars. The robot sampling system consists of more than 3,000 parts and is the most advanced system ever sent into space.
The samples will be captured on the surface of Mars and transported back to Earth on subsequent expeditions.
A month ago, the persistence bot failed to retrieve a sample. He drilled into softer rocks, but the rocks melted before the titanium stem got into the pits.
(© NTB)
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