The next step in the unprecedented campaign to return scientifically selected samples from Mars was completed on October 19 with a formal agreement between NASA and its partner ESA (European Space Agency). The two agencies will proceed with the creation of a repository of sample tubes on Mars. The sample deposit, or cache, will be in “Three Forks”, an area near the base of an ancient river delta in Jezero Crater.
This cache will contain carefully selected rock samples from the surface of Mars, samples that may help tell the story of Jezero Crater and the evolution of Mars, and may even contain signs of ancient life. Scientists believe core samples of the delta’s fine-grained sedimentary rocks – deposited in a lake billions of years ago – are most likely to contain indicators of whether microbial life existed when Mars’ climate was very hot. different from what it is today.
“Never before has a scientifically curated collection of samples from another planet been collected and placed to be returned to Earth,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “NASA and ESA have reviewed the proposed site and the Mars samples that will be deployed for this cache starting next month. When this first tube is positioned on the surface, it will be a historic moment in space exploration.”
The sample cache – a duplicate of the collection Perseverance will keep on board – is part of a solid plan to ensure mission success. The Perseverance rover will be the primary means of transporting the collected samples to the Mars launcher as part of the campaign. The Three Forks repository will serve as a backup, hosting the duplicate set.
“Choosing the first deposit on Mars makes this exploration campaign very real and tangible. We now have a place to revisit with samples waiting for us there,” said David Parker, director of human and robotic exploration at the ESA. “The fact that we can implement this plan so early in the campaign is a testament to the skill of the international team of engineers and scientists working on persistence and sample return from Mars. The first sample deposit from Mars can be considered a major risk reduction step for the Mars sample return campaign.”
The first stage of the campaign is already underway. Since Perseverance touched down at Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, the rover has explored 8.2 miles (13.2 kilometers) of Martian surface and collected 14 rock core samples during its first two science campaigns.
During its first scientific campaign, the rover explored the floor of the crater – an ancient lake bed – finding igneous rock, which forms deep underground from magma or during volcanic activity on the surface. The second scientific campaign was marked by the study of sedimentary rocks, formed when particles of different sizes were deposited in the formerly aqueous environment.
The rover also collected an atmospheric sample and three control tubes. The witness tubes contain material that helps identify potential terrestrial contamination in the tubes that could come from the rover during sampling operations.
“While a major mission milestone occurred once these tubes were dropped, that does not mean that Perseverance’s explorations or sample collection are over, not by a long shot,” said project scientist Ken Farley. Perseverance, from Caltech in Pasadena, California.
“Then we will head to the top of the delta in an area that satellite imagery looks geologically rich, conduct scientific surveys and collect more rock cores. Mars Sample Return is going to have a lot of interesting things to do. Choose. .”
In another major milestone, the Mars sample return program entered the preliminary design and technology completion phase, known as Phase B, on October 1. During this phase, the campaign focuses on completing technology development, technical prototyping, software and legacy hardware evaluations. and other risk mitigation activities.
NASA’s Perseverance rover studies Mars’ geologically rich terrain
Program home page: mars.nasa.gov/msr/
Provided by Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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