Get ready for the most expensive rock collection ever.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has been collecting soil, rock, and air samples on the Martian surface for more than a year—and now, its hard work is ready to pay off. The agency has announced that it has chosen the first cache of samples to be sent back to Earth someday. Once in hand, the samples could even give insights into whether or not life exists on Mars.
“Never before have a scientifically-curated collection of samples from another planet been collected and placed for return to Earth,” Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science,. “NASA and ESA have reviewed the proposed site and the Mars samples that will be deployed for this cache as soon as next month. When that first tube is positioned on the surface, it will be a historic moment in space exploration.
The retrieval mission includes a number of downright sci-fi elements that are brand new for space exploration. First, the Sample Retrieval Lander will use a robotic arm to pick up the samples off the floor. Perseverance will also directly transfer a number of samples contained in its belly to the lander. If the arm fails to scoop up the collection, two helicopter drones will also be on hand to snag them up if needed.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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