The NASA Perseverance Rover recently learned how to run on its own after marking its arrival on Mars one-year anniversary. Since then, the rover has played an important role in helping astronomers better understand Mars as a whole. While the rover will continue to collect samples in the next weeks, the space agency has listed a few of the rover's achievements during the previous year.
UNSPECIFIED: In this concept illustration provided by NASA, NASA's Perseverance (Mars 2020) rover will store rock and soil samples in sealed tubes on the planet's surface for future missions to retrieve in the area known as Jezero crater on the planet Mars. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, paving the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith.
NASA Perseverance Rover Celebrates 1 Year Annivesary on Mars
NASA Perseverance Rover landed in Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. Since then, the rover has found many fascinating facts about Mars.
This rover will conduct three research campaigns, according to NASA. These include "testing a method for producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, identifying other resources (such as subsurface water), improving landing techniques, and characterizing weather, dust, and other potential environmental conditions that may affect future astronauts living and working on Mars."
NASA also reported that the rover acquired its first rock core samples from Mars. Ingenuity also utilized this rover to test MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment), which was "an crucial base station for Ingenuity, the first helicopter on Mars." MOXIE is the first prototype oxygen generator on Mars.
Perseverance Rover broke a new record for the longest distance traveled by a Mars rover in a single day just before its anniversary. On Feb. 14, which is the 351st Martian day, the rover walked over 1,050 feet (320 meters).
AutoNav, a self-driving program that allows the six-wheeled rover navigate through boulders and other obstacles on its own, was employed by the Martian rover while journeying.
Rover to Get More Rock Samples in Coming Weeks
SpaceRef said the robotic rover will collect two additional samples in the following weeks after commemorating NASA Perseverance's anniversary.
These rocks belong to the "Ch'ał" rock type, called after the Navajo word for "frog." This rock comprises a collection of black, rubbly stones that cover the majority of the crater floor.
Furthermore, experts believe that returning these rocks to Earth might reveal information regarding Jezero's creation age range. Aside from that, it's likely to offer details about the lake that used to be there.
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Scientists claim that impact craters can assist them figure out how old a planet or the Moon's surface is. Impact craters of all sizes have piled up over time on older surfaces, according to the space agency. Scientists were able to increase their estimates for the Moon by reviewing Apollo lunar samples.
Rover Accomplishments For The Past Year
To mark the occasion, NASA sent a tweet in which mission officials reviewed a year's worth of findings on Mars and gave a sneak peek at what's in store for the rover in the near future.
We’re celebrating @NASAPersevere’s upcoming landiversary! Join us Feb. 17 at 7pm PT/10pm ET/0300 GMT as mission team leaders discuss the rover's incredible first year on Mars. Comment your questions below to get them answered live on the show. https://t.co/okJORsa0CC pic.twitter.com/eZhlhrADQQ
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) February 15, 2022
Perseverance Rover has discovered several significant findings that have thrown fresh insight on Mars' distant past. Here are some of its achievements:
Flash Floods in the Past
The NASA Perseverance rover discovered evidence of past flash floods on Mars, indicating that it wasn't always the dry, super-cold hellscape it is now.
According to NBC News, the flash floods were powerful enough to lift stones weighing hundreds of pounds. NASA said the ancient lake bed of Jezero crater was originally fed by a river that ran with such force that no other river on Earth could match.
These "rushing rivers," as they're known, are thought to have existed roughly 3.5 million years ago, implying that the Jezero crater was "ideal" for life until things changed.
Ancient Water on Mars
The NASA Perseverance Rover discovered specific minerals, indicating that water formerly covered areas of the Martian surface.
EarthSky.org said these minerals were olivine crystals coated in pyroxene crystals, indicating that magma and water flowed on the planet.
Perseverance made this finding just where it landed, in the Jezero crater, formerly an ancient lakebed.
According to their findings, the rock created by the lava flow has been changed by water multiple times. NASA also discovered that some of the rocks there contain organic compounds. This is a huge breakthrough in the search for ancient Martian life.
A 'Mysterious' Purple Rock on Mars
The Perseverance rover discovered a hue that you wouldn't expect to see on Mars: purple. According to National Geographic, the purple covering has never been seen previously in previous rover trips.
Although experts scratching their heads, they believe the covering may have a unique mineral composition.
The minerals it may contain might act as a record of the conditions that led to their formation, allowing scientists to reconstruct long-ago habitats. As a result, they're hopeful it could include hints to the presence of ancient life on Mars.
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