June 21, 2023
Meet a Martian pattern that has been collected and is awaiting return to Earth as a part of the Mars Pattern Return marketing campaign. As of June 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 19 scientifically chosen samples inside pristine tubes. The following stage is to get them again for examine.
Thought-about one of many highest priorities by the scientists within the Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, Mars Pattern Return could be the primary mission to return samples from one other planet and supplies one of the best alternative to disclose the early evolution of Mars, together with the potential for historic life. NASA is teaming with ESA (European House Company) on this vital endeavor.
Be taught extra concerning the rover’s first pattern, “Roubion,” a deliberate rock core that unexpectedly turned a pattern of Mars environment, extremely precious in its personal proper.
Examine all of the rigorously chosen samples: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samples
Be taught extra concerning the Mars Pattern Return marketing campaign: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr
A key goal for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, together with the seek for indicators of historic microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and previous local weather, pave the best way for human exploration of the Pink Planet, in addition to be the primary mission to gather and cache Martian rock and regolith (damaged rock and mud).
TRANSCRIPT
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MARS ROCK SAMPLES
SAMPLE 1: ROUBION
TYPE: ATMOSPHERIC
LOCATION: POLYGON VALLEY, CRATER FLOOR
SUNANDA SHARMA
ASTROBIOLOGIST – MARS PERSEVERANCE ROVER
Sunanda Sharma: Pattern 1 is known as “Roubion.” It is an atmospheric pattern that we picked up from a spot referred to as “Polygon Valley” within the crater ground.
Roubion is our one and solely atmospheric pattern. So on this case, the rock itself was outdated and altered, and it form of crumbled as we had been choosing up the pattern.
And so when issues do not go in response to plan, we improvise, and we attempt to nonetheless get good science out of it. So on this case, now we have now a seize of simply the air that was round there, and that is additionally a precious pattern that we did not have earlier than.
Studying concerning the environment is vital as a result of that tells us what the weather and chemical substances are which might be within the air on Mars, which is de facto completely different than Earth, and it is completely different than Mars was previously. And so we are able to do the identical kinds of analyses that you would do on rocks to know what makes up the air.
What makes these two planets so related however so completely different? The rocks are one a part of the story. The air across the rocks is one other a part of the story.
We determined to drop Roubion in our backup pattern depot at Three Forks.
There should not some ways to seize air from one other planet, and we have got that.
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For extra data on Mars Rock Samples: mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samples
