The Mars rover “Perseverance” is in the middle of the preparations to take rock samples from Mars. It should start in two weeks.
Washington – The Rover “Perseverance” is preparing to take a sample of Martian rock that will one day be sent back to Earth. The process will begin in the next two weeks, announced the US space agency Nasa.
“We are on the threshold of a new era of planetary research and discovery,” said NASA manager Thomas Zurbuchen. Overall, the process, in which various scientific instruments on board “Perseverance” (in German: stamina) are involved, will take about eleven days. Exactly when and how the sample will be sent to Earth is still being planned.
“Perseverance” landed on Mars in a risky maneuver at the end of February. The development and construction of the approximately 2.5 billion dollar (about 2.2 billion euros) rover had taken eight years. He is supposed to search for traces of previous microbial life on Mars and to research the climate and geology of the planet.
He also brought a small helicopter with him to Mars, which took off for the first time in mid-April – making it the first aircraft to fly on another planet. In the meantime, “Ingenuity” (in German roughly: ingenuity) has already completed a total of nine flights and its mission, which was originally planned to last around 30 days, has been extended. dpa
