![]() ![]() “The probe did not encounter the expected resistance that would be there if a sample were inside the tube. One of the steps that occur after placing a probe into the collection tube is to measure the volume of the sample,” said Jessica Samuels, surface mission manager for Perseverance at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). “The sampling process is autonomous from beginning to end. ![]() Yet after the entire drilling process was complete, measurements indicated the tube did not have any surface material inside of it. Further data showed that Perseverance successfully performed the post-drilling operations as intended and that the tube was processed correctly. Mission operators, reviewing the data returned, found that the coring bit and the sample tube were in the correct positions for the sample collection. NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover August 6, 2021 We’re working through this new challenge. Early pics and data show a successful drill hole, but no sample in the tube–something we’ve never seen in testing on Earth. #SamplingMars is one of my most complicated tasks. However, the August 6 drilling event data shows that the sample collection tube did not collect any surface material. This entire process is called sample collection and is a crucial part of Perseverance’s mission as well as two follow-on NASA and ESA Sample Return flights slated for launch in 2026. Once the drilling was complete, the tube should have been filled with surface material the size of a piece of chalk. This container aimed to collect the dust, sand, rock, and other regolith displaced by the drill. ![]() Inside the bit used to drill into the surface was a small, hollow titanium cylinder container. On August 6, Perseverance’s 2-meter robotic arm lowered to the Martian surface, where a drill located at the end of the arm began carving into the local rock. Meanwhile, as Perseverance was preparing for the sample collection event, a team of researchers using ESA’s Mars Express orbiter found evidence that previously thought of lakes of water underneath Mars’ south pole might actually be made of clay. However, data shows that while the rover’s drill successfully drilled into the surface, no regolith was collected in the sample tube. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover recently attempted its first-ever sample collection of the Martian surface on August 6. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |