NASA’s Perseverance rover today completed the collection of the first sample
of Martian rock, a core from Jezero Crater slightly thicker than a pencil.
Mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern
California received data that confirmed the historic milestone.
The core is now enclosed in an airtight titanium sample tube, making it
available for retrieval in the future. Through the Mars Sample Return
campaign, NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) are planning a series of
future missions to return the rover’s sample tubes to Earth for closer
study. These samples would be the first set of scientifically identified and
selected materials returned to our planet from another.
“NASA has a history of setting ambitious goals and then accomplishing them,
reflecting our nation’s commitment to discovery and innovation,” said NASA
Administrator Bill Nelson. “This is a momentous achievement and I can’t wait
to see the incredible discoveries produced by Perseverance and our team.”
Along with identifying and collecting samples of rock and regolith (broken
rock and dust) while searching for signs of ancient microscopic life,
Perseverance’s mission includes studying the Jezero region to understand the
geology and ancient habitability of the area, as well as to characterize the
past climate.
“For all of NASA science, this is truly a historic moment,” said Thomas
Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters in
Washington. “Just as the Apollo Moon missions demonstrated the enduring
scientific value of returning samples from other worlds for analysis here on
our planet, we will be doing the same with the samples Perseverance collects
as part of our Mars Sample Return program. Using the most sophisticated
science instruments on Earth, we expect jaw-dropping discoveries across a
broad set of science areas, including exploration into the question of
whether life once existed on Mars.”
First Sample
The sample-taking process began on Wednesday, Sept. 1, when the
rotary-percussive drill at the end of Perseverance’s robotic arm cored into
a flat, briefcase-size Mars rock nicknamed “Rochette.”
After completing the coring process, the arm maneuvered the corer, bit, and
sample tube so the rover’s Mastcam-Z camera instrument could image the
contents of the still-unsealed tube and transmit the results back to Earth.
After mission controllers confirmed the cored rock’s presence in the tube,
they sent a command to complete processing of the sample.
Today, at 12:34 a.m. EDT, Perseverance transferred sample tube serial number
266 and its Martian cargo into the rover’s interior to measure and image the
rock core. It then hermetically sealed the container, took another image,
and stored the tube.
“With over 3,000 parts, the Sampling and Caching System is the most complex
mechanism ever sent into space,” said Larry D. James, interim director of
JPL. “Our Perseverance team is excited and proud to see the system perform
so well on Mars and take the first step for returning samples to Earth. We
also recognize that a worldwide team of NASA, industry partners, academia,
and international space agencies contributed to and share in this historic
success.”
First Science Campaign
Perseverance is currently exploring the rocky outcrops and boulders of
“Artuby,” a ridgeline of more than a half-mile (900 meters) bordering two
geologic units believed to contain Jezero Crater’s deepest and most ancient
layers of exposed bedrock.
“Getting the first sample under our belt is a huge milestone,” said
Perseverance Project Scientist Ken Farley of Caltech. “When we get these
samples back on Earth, they are going to tell us a great deal about some of
the earliest chapters in the evolution of Mars. But however geologically
intriguing the contents of sample tube 266 will be, they won’t tell the
complete story of this place. There is a lot of Jezero Crater left to
explore, and we will continue our journey in the months and years ahead.”
The rover’s initial science foray, which spans hundreds of sols (Martian
days), will be complete when Perseverance returns to its landing site. At
that point, Perseverance will have traveled between 1.6 and 3.1 miles (2.5
and 5 kilometers) and may have filled as many as eight of its 43 sample
tubes.
After that, Perseverance will travel north, then west, toward the location
of its second science campaign: Jezero Crater’s delta region. The delta is
the fan-shaped remains of the spot where an ancient river met a lake within
the crater. The region may be especially rich in clay minerals. On Earth,
such minerals can preserve fossilized signs of ancient microscopic life and
are often associated with biological processes.
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