Done And Dusted By NASA

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According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Perseverance rover bottled up two samples of the Martian surface on December 2 and December 6. (JPL). These fresh samples were taken from a pile of wind-blown sand and dust from a small “dune,” as opposed to the earlier samples collected by perseverance, which consisted of rock core. Scientists will examine Martian samples returned to Earth with advanced scientific equipment for signs of ancient microbial life. While the majority of the samples obtained will be rock, researchers are also interested in studying Martian regolith (dust.) Not only will it help them learn about geological processes on the red planet but it will also help mitigate against challenges that astronauts will face when we send a mission to Mars.

 “Everything we learn about the size, shape, and chemistry of regolith grains helps us design and test better tools for future missions,” said NASA’s Iona Tirona in a press statement.