NASA’s Perseverance Rover on Mars just snagged its latest dirt sample

NASA ‘s Perseverance rover has made made a huge number of discoveries on the Martian  surface and they were quite informative for the researchers about the conditions on Mars. These will help in making preparations for human habitation there.

 This time the Rover has snagged two new samples from the Martian surface on December 2 and December 6. But the sample collected this time is far different from the 15 rock cores collected to date.

The newest samples came from a pile of wind-blown sand and dust similar to, but smaller than a dune.

 Now contained in special metal collection tubes, one of these two samples may become part of the Mars Sample Return campaign.

Scientists and researchers want to test these samples with the powerful equipment on the Earth to know more about the Martian surface.

The collected samples would help scientists in search for signs of ancient microbial life and to better understand the processes that have shaped the surface of Mars.

 Most of the samples will be rock; however, researchers also want to examine regolith – broken rock and dust – not only because of what it can teach us about geological processes and the environment on Mars.

This will also mitigate some of the challenges astronauts will face on the Red Planet. (NASA)

 The study of regolith would help researchers and engineers to design the future Mars missions and also the equipment used by future Martian astronauts.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.