The Perseverance Mars rover took a picture of its tracks on the Red Planet as it traveled through the Martian dust and up to a boulder known as Rochette. This is where the rover took one of its most recent Mars samples, boring into the rock and collecting a tiny sample in its sample tubes.
The tubes will eventually be retrieved by a future rover and sent to Earth for analysis. The two drill holes in the rock where the rover obtained the samples may be seen in the photograph.
Study the building blocks of ancient Martian life? Sounds like a case for SHERLOC & WATSON. My SHERLOC instrument & WATSON camera help me look for organics & minerals that have been altered by watery environments. See how we investigate potential samples. https://t.co/vAAsFVEgUK pic.twitter.com/1N02ZPf7X3
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) September 23, 2021
NASA Mars Perseverance Rover Camera Isn't Only Just For Taking Selfies, You Know
Perseverance's cameras aren't only for snapping cute selfies; they're also an important element of the ship's research mission. Vivian Sun, the co-lead for Perseverance's first research campaign at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained in a statement that the image cameras are a significant element of everything. Sun said the team utilizes a lot of these cameras for science every day. According to Sun, the item is vital to the success of the mission.
Using its WATSON camera, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover took this selfie over a rock nicknamed “Rochette,” on Sept.10, 2021, the 198th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Two holes can be seen where the rover used its robotic arm to drill rock core samples.
Two navigation cameras and nine engineering cameras are among the cameras that assist the rover in navigating the Martian terrain by allowing autonomous drive. The rover's first panoramic image of the Martian surface was likewise captured by these cameras. They provide a rapid, low-resolution overview of what the rover sees, allowing more powerful cameras to focus on items of interest.
Having those pictures from the navigation camera is highly beneficial for a focused research follow-up with higher-resolution sensors like SuperCam and Mastcam-Z, Sun added.
Two of the rover's sensors, SuperCam and Mastcam-Z, include high-resolution cameras. The cameras on the Mastcam-Z record wide-angle views, such as panoramas or 3D pictures, as well as high-definition video. The SuperCam device targets certain distant places by zooming in and studying minerals in great detail.
The Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON) camera on the end of the rover's robotic arm can photograph rocks in great detail, allowing for extreme close-up pictures.
In the same NASA statement, Luther Beegle, the rover's SHERLOC instrument's principal investigator, said that they should have a pretty good chance of seeing the potential for signs of life once they move closer to the delta region.
NASA Mars Perseverance Rover Has 23 Cameras!
Digital Trends said NASA's Perseverance Rover is equipped with various equipment, including a suite of 23 cameras.
Perseverance transmitted numerous still photographs back to Earth minutes after arriving at its landing location inside Jezero Crater - which is the most exciting place on Mars per reports - followed by its first high-quality pictures revealing its new surroundings in incredible detail a few days later.
Perseverance is sure to make some intriguing findings as it explores the Martian surface throughout its two-year mission, thanks to its array of cameras and other scientific instruments.
RELATED ARTICLE: How NASA's Perseverance Imaged the First Cored Martian Rock with Mastcam-Z: A Step-by-Step Overview
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