The Perseverance rover's Martian rock samples just... disappeared. What happened?
3 years, 4 months ago

The Perseverance rover's Martian rock samples just... disappeared. What happened?

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The Perseverance rover is a rarity among space rovers for the sole reason that it is a sample-return mission — meaning that Perseverance will drill Martian rock and collect samples which will eventually be returned to Earth. This Martian mystery story begins last week, when scientists took a big step in Perseverance's historic mission by attempting to collect samples from the Red Planet and depositing them in one of the rover's 43 collection tubes. "While this is not the 'hole-in-one' we hoped for, there is always risk with breaking new ground," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington in a press release. "The sampling process is autonomous from beginning to end," said Jessica Samuels, the surface mission manager for Perseverance at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "I have been on every Mars rover mission since the beginning, and this planet is always teaching us what we don't know about it," said Trosper.

History of this topic

Perseverance rover is about to see some of the oldest rocks on Mars
1 week, 5 days ago
NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars begins steep climb to rim of a crater
3 months, 3 weeks ago
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9 months, 2 weeks ago
Perseverance rover grabs 20th rock sample that could reveal Mars' watery past
1 year ago
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1 year, 11 months ago
Perseverance drops 50% backup samples on Mars for future missions to bring home
1 year, 11 months ago
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2 years, 1 month ago
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3 years, 2 months ago
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3 years, 3 months ago
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3 years, 3 months ago
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3 years, 3 months ago
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