Perseverance continues to decipher a Martian lake

In the photo, you can see a shape similar to that of an anthill on a sandy surface, but it is actually a hole recently created by Chance Rover To extract a rock sample from Martian soil. There is also a list that carefully explains the type of rocks and the time they were collected. Through NASA's page on mission of perseverance, Our eyes can practically delve into the crater carved on the surface of Mars as if it were an extension of the rover that arrived three years ago to explore the surface of the red planet.

Over the years, scientists have specialized in their role Geologists Virtual field surveys, leveraging years of knowledge to choose the best ways to explore the Martian terrain using “eyes.” Robotic Even translating scientific complexity into data accessible to any fan of space exploits.

Numerous images available to the public on NASA's website clearly explain its history, such as the end of a huge sand mound recorded at the end of February and captured on the planet's path. Persevere in Beheive Geyser The left navigation camera is located at the top of the vehicle's mast as a watchful eye to help it drive.

Read also: NASA has announced new signals that could support the theory that there are signs of life on Mars

The vehicle is currently operating in the central region of Jezero craterIt is a surface with a diameter of more than 40 kilometers and is located in the northern hemisphere of the Red Planet, and it preserves geological remains that bear evidence of the geological development not only of Mars, but of the entire solar system. Over the past few months, Rover a pot The researchers collected rock samples from a ring of rocks inside the rim of Jezero Crater, which is believed to have been filled with water billions of years ago.

Of the 43 tubes Perseverance has taken to Mars, 38 are dedicated to collecting samples and five are “witness tubes” designed to document the cleanliness of its sampling system throughout the mission, which is 60% complete so far.

Preliminary analysis indicates that the lake bottom rocks consist of rounded grains of carbonate, a mineral that precipitates in water. “It's a promising sign that the rocks were once on the seashore,” said Bryony Horgan, a planetary scientist at Purdue University who is leading the rover's scientific campaign. “We imagine the waves crashing against the shores of an ancient ancient lake.”

Upon returning to Earth, these samples will be taken to the laboratory for further study. They will perform fluid inclusion analysis, cluster radioisotope thermometry, and classical stable isotope analysis that can determine the temperature, pH, and salinity of the water in which these carbonates formed.

These types of analyzes are frequently performed on ground samples from the Earth to explore the ancient past, when humans did not have tools or historical records. It is possible that some carbonate properties could be used not only to determine the type of water in this ancient lake, but also as a climate indicator for ancient Mars.

Robotic missions to the surface of Mars have discovered that the planet was not only a wetter world, but was also home to many different types of aquatic environments: fresh water, hot springs, acidic and salty pools. The new face of Mars was defined by a new era of robotic interplanetary exploration that began just 20 years ago with the arrival of NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers that touched down on either side of Mars.

By then, the first spacecraft had already reached the surface of Mars. Sojourner reached Mars in 1997, but its scope was not ambitious. It was the size of a microwave oven and explored an area on Mars near its landing site called Ares Valles. Scientists were interested in this area because it looked like an ancient flood site. The rover sent back 550 images that were already beginning to show some evidence of a warmer, wetter place than previously thought to be Mars; However, it was until the arrival spirit and opportunity, Two decades ago, it was possible to climb many of the technological steps that set the standard in automated exploration.

About the size of a golf cart, its mission was clear: collect evidence that water once flowed on the surface of the red planet. Their findings could rewrite science textbooks, such as the famous “berries,” perfect balls of the mineral hematite formed in acidic water. The initial goal was to Rovers It lasted only 90 days, but even its makers could not have imagined that their work would last for years. Even with the wheel damaged, Spirit continued to work on schedule and discovered signs of ancient hot springs that would have been an ideal habitat for microbial life billions of years ago.

Scientists have already suspected that Mars was long ago something very different from the frozen desert it is today, with orbital images already showing what looks like networks of channels carved into the water. But before Spirit and opportunityThere was no evidence that liquid water formed these features. They provided evidence on their 14-year voyages of exploration until they were permanently destroyed by a sandstorm. “Our two rovers were the first to prove the existence of wet early Mars,” said former project scientist Matt Golombek. The laboratory in Southern California led the Mars exploration mission with the first long-range rovers: Opportunity, the first rover to cover a marathon distance on different types of terrain. In total, 45 kilometers have accumulated.

“They have paved the way for learning more about the Red Planet's past with larger rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance, which are currently transporting Spirit and opportunity It's in their “DNA” that the engineers who created them developed practices for surface exploration that still continue today, including using specialized software and 3D glasses to better navigate the Martian environment.

List of rocks that perseverance The discoveries so far have placed scientists' favorite pieces, such as the famous “mushroom,” an object measuring between one and a centimeter high and less than a centimeter wide found in the area called Hogwalu Apartments.

This rock has become a treasure for scientists because it is composed of very fine grains, unlike others. In his blog The World Himani Kalocha He explains that the mushrooms actually represent a geological feature known as concretions, which form very hard masses when water flows through sediments that dissolve minerals.

Robots on Mars rely on data, processing power, and machine learning techniques to do their work, and what they need is supplemented remotely by real-life scientists who use them to virtually traverse the red planet.

It is that Robotic technology on Mars It brings to the table one of the most controversial topics today: the impact of artificial intelligence. Robotic technology is evidence that it is indispensable for providing learning tools for inanimate matter, but the underlying decisions and assumptions can only be made by the men and women who work with them on dry land.

Read also: The superfood that our ancestors consumed and that NASA wants to grow on Mars