NASA has made this Wednesday, September 1, 2021 photo available. It shows the Mars Perseverance Rover's first rock sample that can be returned to Earth. Perseverance had drilled into softer rock a month ago. The sample didn't make it inside the titanium tube and crumbled. The rover drove half a mile to reach a better spot for a second attempt. Before declaring victory, team members analysed data and took pictures. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU via AP
NASA's Mars Rover has collected its first rock sample to return to Earth. This comes after the failed attempt last month.
Adam Steltzner (chief engineer of Perseverance Rover) called it a perfect core specimen.
He tweeted, "I've never felt more happy to see holes in a rock," Thursday.
Perseverance had drilled into softer rock a month ago. The sample fell apart and couldn't reach the titanium tube. The rover drove half a mile to reach a better spot for a second attempt. Before declaring victory, team members analysed data and took pictures.
Perseverance arrived at Mars' Jezero Crater in February. It was looking for evidence of ancient life and discovered that a river delta and lush lakebed existed billions of years before. NASA will launch additional spacecraft to retrieve Perseverance's samples; engineers hope to return at least three dozen samples within a decade.
Steltzner stated, "Be patient, little bit, your journey is about beginning."
Continue reading NASA blames Mars Rover sampling fiasco for bad, powdery rock
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