NASA’s Mars Research Perseverance It has sent back images to Earth of the unique rock formations in what the space agency calls “ancient lake bottoms” in its latest discovery reported during its mission to the Red Planet.
“Check out this rocky patch I found: looks like a garden floor, and may have been hit by rocks,” a message from the research bot’s Twitter account read on Wednesday. “Material like this, from the early days of the ancient lake bed, can help capture the shape of the lake. Spend a few days looking for…”
Perseverance reached Mars on February 18 after a six-month journey through space. The rover landing site is at Crater Lake, and “Scientists believe the area was once flooded and was home to an ancient river delta,” according to NASA.
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The rover received assistance from NASA’s Mars Integrity helicopter, which made its ninth flight of Mars earlier this month. Integrity made history on April 19 by completing the first controlled flight of a plane on a planet other than Earth.
The Perseverance account posted on Twitter last week with a video of the Mars terrain: “My science team saw this color image from the latest #MarsHelicopter flight.” “Intelligence crossed areas where it would be difficult for me to lead, adding a new perspective to the Jezero Crater imagery I collected.”
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The Perseverance mission on Mars involves searching the Red Planet for signs of ancient microbial life, collecting samples, surveying geological features within the Jezero crater, and sending images back to Earth.
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Perseverance is NASA’s ninth landing on Mars and the agency’s fifth spacecraft. It is also the largest, weighing over a metric ton.
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