NASA's Perseverance rover was unable to son-in-law soil samples from the planet the first time. The drill, bit, and sampling tube reportedly worked normally, but the probe reading indicates that the tube is empty.
Experts have been studying the problem for several days, but the reasons for what happened have not been established. Perseverance project manager Jennifer Throsper says the team suggests that during the harvesting and cutting process, the rock may have reacted in an unpredictable way. It follows from this that the operability of the device, apparently, is not impaired.
This incident is not the first incident associated with the difficulties of studying the surface of Mars. In 2008, the Phoenix Lander lander experienced difficulty retrieving sticky soil. Later, the rovers Curiosity and InSight could not normally crush the rock and surface of the Red Planet.
This failure does not put an end to the mission of the probe, but it will most likely affect the performance of the assigned tasks. The main goal of the expedition is to collect as many soil samples as possible, which will then go to Earth for study by scientists in order to search for traces of life. Therefore, the amount of chances for a successful study of the history of Mars depends on the volume of the delivered soil.
Experts have been studying the problem for several days, but the reasons for what happened have not been established. Perseverance project manager Jennifer Throsper says the team suggests that during the harvesting and cutting process, the rock may have reacted in an unpredictable way. It follows from this that the operability of the device, apparently, is not impaired.
This incident is not the first incident associated with the difficulties of studying the surface of Mars. In 2008, the Phoenix Lander lander experienced difficulty retrieving sticky soil. Later, the rovers Curiosity and InSight could not normally crush the rock and surface of the Red Planet.
This failure does not put an end to the mission of the probe, but it will most likely affect the performance of the assigned tasks. The main goal of the expedition is to collect as many soil samples as possible, which will then go to Earth for study by scientists in order to search for traces of life. Therefore, the amount of chances for a successful study of the history of Mars depends on the volume of the delivered soil.
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