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Mohamed Obeid and NASA engineers are now focused on developing a rocket that will head to Mars in 2028 to receive samples collected by Perseverance.
Tunisian United States Space Agency (NASA) space scientist Mohamed Obeid is among the direct supervisors of the manufacture and development of the “Perseverance Rover”, which has successfully landed on Mars, in a scientific achievement unprecedented in the search for possible effects of life. on the Red Planet.
The deputy chief mechanical engineer of the “Mars 2020” project, in his private statement to Al-Jazeera Net, by phone and email, says that the dream of people going to the surface of Mars is not impossible, but it also requires In-depth and detailed studies in the short and long term, beginning first with examining the possibility of previous life opportunities on this planet.
Obaid notes that the biggest challenge the team faced, during the 7 tedious journey to Mars, was the rugged terrain the Perseverance vehicle landed on, which is the “Jizero” crater, which is an ancient lake that existed around 3.9 billion. years ago.
Obaid explained that the Perseverance trip to Mars will be followed by other trips to explore the signs of life on the planet (Al-Jazeera Net)Generation of oxygen
Our interlocutor describes two basic post-Mars missions. The first consists of collecting rocks and Martian sediments and storing them in tubes for their subsequent return to Earth, and the second will be related to the conversion of carbon dioxide, which is abundant in the planet’s atmosphere, into oxygen.
And generating oxygen from carbon dioxide gas on the surface of Mars is the biggest challenge, as the Tunisian space scientist points out, as this step will be crucial in future planning to send people to the surface of Mars as an alternative to robots by 2030.
In addition to the precedent of carrying the spacecraft with microphones to record sound on the surface of Mars, Obaid notes that the Perseverance rover is equipped with a no more than 5 pound “Ingenioti” helicopter, loaded with solar panels, to fly. Mars, in a virtual tour visible for the next few days to explore it.
Ebeid says that he, accompanied by a team of NASA engineers, is now engaged in the manufacture and development of a new rocket that will head to Mars in 2028 to receive the rocky and bacterial samples that the “Perseverance” vehicle has been assigned to prepare. in tubes, and then return it to the surface of the Earth to perform the necessary tests, and know the extent of the effects of previous life On the red planet.
Tunisian space scientist hours before the launch of Perseverance to Mars (Al-Jazeera Net)With arabic hands
It should be noted that the Tunisian scientist also has several scientific contributions since he joined the United States Space Agency in 2004, specifically the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which was entrusted with the function of designing, building, operating and driving vehicles. robotic spacecraft targeting planets.
Obeid asks young Tunisians and Arabs to believe in their abilities and adhere to their dreams and that nothing is impossible. Sfax’s son, in southern Tunisia, remembers the tragic accident of the explosion of the American space shuttle “Challenger” in 1986, in which 7 astronauts died.
He added: “This tragic space accident had a great impact on me, and one of the reasons for my entry into the field of space engineering, I said at the time that I wanted to work at NASA one day to solve the problem that occurred. on the doomed shuttle to prevent it from happening again. “
Obeid hopes that he and the rest of the Arab NASA scientists will pave the way for a new generation of compatriots who dream of ascending to Mars in 2030, adding: “Of course I hope it is Tunisian.”
This, and the flight of the Perseverance spacecraft and its arrival on Mars on February 18, was followed by media and popular attention, from Arabs in general and Tunisians in particular, who celebrated on social media the contribution of their compatriots to this unprecedented scientific achievement. .
It should be noted that Tunisia is on a date next March, coinciding with the anniversary of independence, with a historical scientific and spatial achievement, represented by the launch of the first Tunisian satellite “Challenge 1” that was carried out with skills and knowledge 100% Tunisian.
A few days ago, the Tunisian “Internet of Things” satellite was handed over to the Russian company that was committed to launching (GlavKosmos), placed in the launch capsule and put into operation in preparation for its launch into space.
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