NASA believes it’s discovered why a chunk of Martian rock mysteriously vanished.
The Perseverance rover had tried to collect the sample as part of its search for signs of ancient life on the red planet.
Perseverance used its seven-foot-long robotic arm to bore into the Martian surface and grab the rock.
Data confirmed the drill had reached the proper depth. Telemetry and photos confirmed the sample tube had been sealed and placed in storage. There was only one problem: the container was empty.
The Perseverance team was baffled. Had the robotic arm malfunctioned? Did an irate Martian intervene in the attempted theft of its land? Not according to NASA. Thespaceagency is blaming the failure on the rock.
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Scientists came to this conclusion after analyzing photos and depth measurements of the borehole. The data showed that the rover’s drill had ground the fragile core into powder and small fragments.
“The hardware performed as commanded but the rock did not cooperate this time,” wrote Louise Jandura, the chief engineer for Perseverance’s sampling and caching, ina blog post.
The fiasco has led NASA to search for stronger rocks in South Seitah, another area ofMars’Jezero Crater.
Perseverance is expected to make its second sampling attempt in early September.
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Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on AI, cybersecurity, and government policy.
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