NASA Firm rover A rich scientist has landed on the hunting ground, if the first good look around him is a guide.
The size of a car Jataro landed on the floor of the crater On February 18, kick off an ambitious surface mission, which will search for signs of ancient Mars life and, among other tasks, collect samples to return to Earth in the future.
At the moment he is not ready to dive into science work; The mission team is still checking health and status on its various devices and subsystems. But the six-wheeled robot has recently used its Mastam-Z camera My Suite to capture high-definition, 360 degree panorama around it, And he is interested in the mission team at first taste.
Live updates: NASA’s firm Mars rover mission
For example, Zombie Panorama During a webcast discussion of the photo on Thursday (February 25), the team unveiled a black stone called “Harbor Seal Rock” to Jim Bell, chief investigator at Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Earth Exploration Mastermind-Z.
Belt said the Mangalian wind probably carved the over Harbor Seal Rock into its bizarre shape. He also showed patches that showed evidence of fast-acting erosion – spots where there were thrusters. Diligence’s “Sky Crane” descended stage On February 18, a red dust blanket of Mars was blown off the surface of small rocks.
One such patch fits a group of light-colored, heavily pitted stones that have caught the eye of mission scientists.
“Are these volcanic rocks? Are these carbonate rocks? Is this something else? Are there coatings on them?” Said Belle. “We don’t know – we don’t have any chemical data or mineral data yet – but, boy, it’s definitely interesting, and a part of the story about what’s going on here will be told when we get it. These rocks and some others in the field More detailed information on the content. “
Bells said – the head is one of the key jobs of the M-Z and other cameras of the Perseverance, to discover interesting features that the Persuasion can study in more detail through its spectrometers and other science instruments.
The 28-mile-wide (45 km) Jezero Crater took refuge in a deep lake and river delta billions of years ago. Deltas are good for preserving signs of life here on Earth, so the Perseverance team is keen for Roger to study and sample the remains of that facility in Jazero. And the delta head appears in the am-z panorama; The rocks that mark its edge are about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) from the landing ground of Persians, Belle said.
He added that the ridge of the ridge Jezero Crater overlooking the Delta Cliffs in the Mastam am-Z panorama, he added.
The recently unveiled photo is, of course, just the beginning. For starters, this is the lowest-resolution panorama that the Mustakam M-Z team will build. Bell said similar shots that are more intense than three years will be assembled after switching to its surface-optimized software, a four-day process that is already underway.
And we still haven’t tasted the science discoveries of personality. That task will take some time, as the first major task of the mission team after rover up and running is to manage 4-lb test flights. (1.8 kg) Mars helicopter ingenuityIs, riding on the red planet on the belly of diligence.
Leading sorties of ingenuity – the world’s first rotorcraft flights beyond Earth – will likely happen to you this spring, and science and sampling are expected to begin in the summer, mission team members said.
Mike is the author of “Wall L”Out there“(Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Carl Tate), a book about the discovery of alien life. Follow him on Twitter ઇકMikeHeldVall. Follow us on Twitter @speedotcom or Facebook.