While Perseverance is driving, the science team is hectic pre-planning for our next project, which will take place at the Jezero crater delta. I feel a deep sense of connection to the samples that Perseverance collects in Jezero crater, and Im very thrilled to see what the delta holds for us!
Composed by Rachel Kronyak, Systems Engineer at NASA/JPL.
Mars Perseverance Sol 377– Left Mastcam-Z Camera: Mastcam-Z image of Perseverances most current rock core sample named Atsah, the last sample of our crater floor collection. These tubes include 4 rock core samples, an atmospheric sample, and a witness sample (suggested for contamination assessment). From the second crater floor formation, the Séítah development, we performed abrasions on 3 rocks and filled 4 sample tubes, all of which include rock core samples.
Mars Perseverance Sol 377– Left Mastcam-Z Camera: Mastcam-Z picture of Perseverances latest rock core sample named Atsah, the final sample of our crater flooring collection. Mastcam-Z acquired this image simply prior to the rock core being moved to the Adaptive Caching Assembly (ACA) for processing. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
Perseverance has invested a little over one Earth year in Jezero crater. In the last week, the group reached a very unique milestone as we officially completed our first science project concentrated on the Jezero crater floor.
Throughout our crater flooring campaign, we kept Perseverance busy! As we discovered more about our surroundings, we identified the rocks that comprise the crater floor into two developments, both of which our company believe to be igneous in origin. A development is a geologic term for a sequence of rock large enough to be mapped at the surface area and be appreciable from other formations.
The very first development that Perseverance experienced is the Máaz development, and within it, we abraded 4 rocks and sealed 6 sample tubes. These tubes consist of 4 rock core samples, a climatic sample, and a witness sample (meant for contamination assessment). From the second crater flooring formation, the Séítah development, we carried out abrasions on 3 rocks and filled 4 sample tubes, all of which consist of rock core samples. All of this tough work has actually brought our overall sample tube tally to 10 following our examination of the Jezero crater floor.