Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

Confirmed: Nasa's Mars rover gets its first piece of rock

by French Press Agency - AFP

Washington Sep 07, 2021 - 10:04 am GMT+3
In this file image released by NASA the drill hole from Perseverance's second sample-collection attempt can be seen, in this composite of two images taken on Sept. 1, 2021. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AFP)
In this file image released by NASA the drill hole from Perseverance's second sample-collection attempt can be seen, in this composite of two images taken on Sept. 1, 2021. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AFP)
by French Press Agency - AFP Sep 07, 2021 10:04 am
RECOMMENDED
A meteorite creates a streak of light across the night sky over the North Yorkshire moors at Leaholm, near Whitby, northern England, U.K., April 26, 2015. (Reuters Photo)

Asteroid's near miss highlights blind spots in planetary defenses

space

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover succeeded in collecting its first rock sample from the red planet to pore over when a future mission eventually brings it back to Earth, the organization confirmed Monday.

"I've got it!" the space agency tweeted, alongside a photograph of a rock core slightly thicker than a pencil inside a sample tube.

The sample was collected on Sept. 1, but NASA was initially unsure whether the rover had successfully held onto its precious cargo because initial images taken in poor light were unclear.

After taking a new photo so mission control could verify its contents, Perseverance transferred the tube to the rover's interior for further measurements and imaging, then hermetically sealed the container.

"This is a momentous achievement and I can't wait to see the incredible discoveries produced by Perseverance and our team," NASA administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.

Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for science, likened the achievement to the first samples of rock taken from the Moon, which are still invaluable to researchers today.

Perseverance's sampling and caching system is the most complex mechanism ever sent to space, with over 3,000 parts.

This file NASA photo obtained July 25, 2021, shows NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter(R) captured by Mars Perseverance rover using its Left Mastcam-Z Camera, composed of a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast, June 15, 2021. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU via AFP)
This file NASA photo obtained July 25, 2021, shows NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter(R) captured by Mars Perseverance rover using its Left Mastcam-Z Camera, composed of a pair of cameras located high on the rover's mast, June 15, 2021. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU via AFP)

Its first target was a briefcase-sized rock nicknamed "Rochette" from a ridgeline that is particularly interesting from a geological perspective as it contains ancient layers of exposed bedrock.

Perseverance uses a drill and a hollow coring bit at the end of its 7-foot-long (2-meter-long) robotic arm to extract samples.

After coring the rock, the rover vibrated the drill bit and tube for one second, five separate times.

This procedure is called "percuss to ingest" and is meant to clear the lip of the tube of residual material, and cause the sample to slide down the tube.

Perseverance landed on an ancient lake bed called the Jezero Crater in February, on a mission to search for signs of ancient microbial life using a suite of sophisticated instruments mounted on its turret.

It is also trying to better characterize the Red Planet's geology and past climate.

The first part of the rover's science mission, which will last hundreds of sols or Martian days, will be complete when it returns to its landing site.

By then, it will have traveled somewhere between 1.6 and 3.1 miles (2.5 and 5 kilometers) and may have filled up to eight of its 43 sample tubes.

It will then travel to Jezero Crater's delta region, which might be rich in clay minerals. On Earth, such minerals can preserve fossilized signs of ancient microscopic life.

Eventually, NASA wants to send back the samples taken by the rover in a joint mission with the European Space Agency, sometime in the 2030s.

Its first attempt at taking a sample in August failed after the rock was too crumbly to withstand the robot's drill.

RECOMMENDED
A meteorite creates a streak of light across the night sky over the North Yorkshire moors at Leaholm, near Whitby, northern England, U.K., April 26, 2015. (Reuters Photo)

Asteroid's near miss highlights blind spots in planetary defenses

space
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Sep 07, 2021 11:30 am
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    space exploration space&science mars mission nasa
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    The leaders of the opposition bloc pose on stage before presenting the election program, in the capital Ankara, Türkiye, Jan. 30, 2023. (AFP Photo)

    Turkish opposition bloc reveals road map but still no candidate 

    opposition
    A Toyota C-HR Prologue model, which will be manufactured at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Türkiye (TMMT) in the northwestern province of Sakarya, Türkiye. (Courtesy of TMMT)

    Türkiye plant pitched to manufacture new Toyota C-HR plug-in hybrid

    automotive-industry

    Türkiye warns of 'price' if US fails to deliver long-sought fighter jets

    F-16-FIGHTER-JETS

    Finland probing Paludan's links with Russia: FM Haavisto

    nato-membership
    No Image
    Kids will be kids: Motherhood across the species
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021