Mapping Perseverances First Six Samples: This annotated map shows the places where NASAs Perseverance Mars rover collected its very first witness tube and filled its very first six samples. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/ MSSS.
As the 2021 fiscal year comes to a close, its good to sit back and show on all the progress weve made on Mars this year. Its been a busy ~ 300 sols for both Perseverance and our helicopter partner, Ingenuity!
One of Perseverances mission objectives is to gather and keep samples of the martian surface for eventual return back to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. Next, samples are drilled from the Martian surface into ultraclean sample tubes utilizing a rotary-percussive drill on the end of Perseverances robotic arm. After drilling, each sample tube is brought inside the body of the rover, where it is examined for sample quantity, imaged, and hermetically sealed.
Determination brought 43 sample tubes to Mars, many of which will be filled with martian rock and regolith. Given that landing 10 months ago, 7 sample tubes have been filled:.
1. The very first was a witness tube. Experience tubes (Perseverance has 5) are designed to record any contaminants shed by the rover during sampling and will be obtained periodically throughout the mission.
2. The 2nd tube was planned to consist of a rock called “Roubion,” but no rock core was acquired. This unanticipated result likely arised from crumbling of the rock during drilling. Instead, this became our very first sample of the martian environment.
3&& 4. Our 3rd and 4th samples were obtained as a set at a ridge-top outcrop called “Rochette.” This paired tasting technique is created to supply us with alternatives in transferring samples to the follow-on objectives that may bring them home. This set of samples, called “Montdenier” and “Montagnac,” were our very first two collected rock cores.
5&& 6. In a similar paired style, samples 5 and 6 were gathered at an outcrop called “Brac,” within the “Se ´ i ´ tah “region. These cores were called “Salette” and “Coulettes,” our fourth and 3rd rock cores.
7. As 2021 draws to a close, Perseverance is situated in front of a rock outcrop called “Issole,” where we mean to collect another pair of crater floor samples in Seitah. At the time of this writing, Perseverance has actually effectively filled our seventh sample tube with a rock core sample called “Robine,” our 5th core! In the coming sols, Perseverance will try to gather another sample core before striking the road for our next tasting area.
As a member of the science operations group for Perseverance, Im involved in the advancement and execution of our sample collection strategy. To me, sampling is at the heart of the Mars 2020 objective and the best crossway of science and engineering. 2021 has been a hectic however rewarding year for those people on the Perseverance group. Its specifically fulfilling to think that the samples that Perseverance is collecting will keep researchers busy for decades to come. Im very thrilled to see the samples the Perseverance collects in 2022 and beyond!
Composed by Rachel Kronyak, Systems Engineer at NASA/JPL.
One of Perseverances objective objectives is to collect and save samples of the martian surface for ultimate return back to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. Next, samples are drilled from the Martian surface area into ultraclean sample tubes using a rotary-percussive drill on the end of Perseverances robotic arm. After drilling, each sample tube is brought inside the body of the rover, where it is examined for sample amount, imaged, and hermetically sealed.
As 2021 draws to a close, Perseverance is located in front of a rock outcrop called “Issole,” where we plan to gather another set of crater floor samples in Seitah. At the time of this writing, Perseverance has actually effectively filled our seventh sample tube with a rock core sample called “Robine,” our 5th core!