Intact samples in Perseverance collector tubes.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, WASHINGTON — NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which oversees the mission Mars currently reporting rover Perseverance has successfully drilled rock on the Planet Mars. Perseverance keeps the stone in its collection tube.
To perform the task, Perseverance used a rotary percussive drill and a two-meter-long end drill bit. Perseverance extracted rock samples which it described as “a little thicker than a pencil”. JPL said Thursday (2/9) that recently received images show the intact sample in the Perseverance collection tube.
He added that additional images taken after the arm completed the sample acquisition task were inconclusive due to poor sunlight conditions. Regardless, the team says it believes the sample remains in the tube this time around. He plans to take additional images with better lighting in the coming days to properly confirm the presence of the samples.
“This project got its first cornerstone and it’s a phenomenal achievement,” said project manager at JPL Jennifer Trosper. Digital Trends, Friday (3/9).
“The team determined the location and selected and fabricated a rock core that was feasible and of scientific value. We did what we had to do. We will address this minor issue with the lighting conditions in the image and keep pushing for a sample in this tube.”
Previously, Perseverance’s first collection attempt failed because the sample was too powdery to remain in the tube. It causes the material to slide outward. The incident prompted the team to send Perseverance to look for another rock with a more suitable structure to increase the chances of the sample being retained.
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