NASA has a new toy dog to play with on Mars , but the space agency has some significant work to do before the Perseverance roamer is ready to begin roll through its new stomping grounds .
After traversing nearly 300 million Admiralty mile over the preceding nine month , NASA ’s Perseverance rover has successfullylandedon Mars . During a NASA pressing conference today , Adam Steltzner , Perseverance master engineer , said the landing “ went as swimmingly as we want it to go . ”
“ I almost experience like we ’re in a dream , ” said Jennifer Trosper , deputy project handler at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , during apost - landing press conferenceheld yesterday .
Percy’s first full-color image taken on Mars.Image: NASA/JPL
Indeed , there ’s bunch to be stir about . Perseverance has land inside the 28 - mile - wide ( 45 - km ) Jezero crater , the site of a former lake and river delta . The rover appear to be look southeastern United States , its power organization look good , and its electric battery have already charged to 95 % content , read Trosper .
Speaking in the first place today at the presser , Aaron Stehura , the deputy phase jumper lead for entry , stemma , and landing , said the landing place internet site looks “ comparatively safe , ” as it ’s devoid from boulders , cliffs , and other hazard . It “ took lots of time and effort to identify such a dependable spot , ” he added .
Geologist Kathryn Stack Morgan , deputy project scientist for the Mars 2020 mission , tell she ’s transfix by the image , particularly a fresh photo showing the right roulette wheel of the wanderer on the dusty open .
Perseverance’s front right wheel, with curious rocks in the background.Image: NASA/JPL
During today ’s closet conference , Morgan pointed out some rocks seen in the photo , which appear pockmark . She ’s peculiar to have a go at it “ what these rock even stand for , ” as they ’re of instantaneous geological import . Such holes are known in volcanic rocks , but also rocks of sedimentary origin , explained Morgan , who said she ’s excited to discover out .
Morgan was also pleased to learn that Perseverance had landed in a geologically interesting field , including near a fractured building block NASA dubs Canyon de Chelly . observance previously done from above can now be confirmed by the rover , she allege .
Pauline Hwang , show up strategic mission manager at NASA ’s JPL , allege Percy is “ capital , ” “ healthy , ” “ highly functional , ” and “ awe-inspiring , ” during today ’s presser . The rover has successfully pass on with orbiters and relayed data through NASA ’s Deep Space connection . Mission specialists have successfully fired some pyros on the roamer to unfasten equipment that had to be abscond down for the trip from Earth . Hwang said this has already been done to release an feeler and covers on the two Hazard Avoidance Cameras ( Hazcams ) , but no instrument have been moved yet .
Map showing Perseverance’s landing spot within Jezero crater, with interesting geological features shown in green.Image: NASA/JPL
talk on NASA TV during the minute following the landing , Jessica Samuels , the aerofoil mission manager for the Mars 2020 project , said her squad must now adjust to a raw clock , in which the Martian days , or colloidal suspension , are 24 hour and 39.5 minutes long . Her team has begin they initial bank check - outs of the rover to ensure the SUV - sized vehicle and its many legal document are solve properly .
Indeed , the squad has go in into baby - step mode , as “ Percy ” is being readied for the science stage of the mission , which likely wo n’t begin until the summer , according to Trosper . The team is also put to work to steady the rover ’s office and thermic organization , as well as its communicating capabilities , after which prison term the team can transmit upgraded software to the scouter .
During the next several sols , the squad will aim Percy ’s aerial toward Earth and deploy its remote sensing mast , which is equipped with five cameras ( the entire six - wheeled fomite has 23 photographic camera ) . Hwang said the mast could be deploy as early as Saturday , which will be followed by destiny of new images , include a shot of the rover ’s deck and a panoramic color view of the landing spot . NASA also hopes to release a in high spirits - definition picture — with audio — captured by Perseverance during its descent to the Martian aerofoil , which should include the last 32 feet ( 10 meters ) before it touch the ground . That sounds amazing , and we ’ve been told to carry that on Monday .
https://gizmodo.com/exhilarating-photo-shows-perseverance-rover-being-lower-1846309173
NASA also turn astunning photoof the rover being lower to the surface and animagetaken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter , a artificial satellite that has been at Mars since 2006 , showing the rover descending to the surface with the chute unroll .
Also on Monday , NASA will broadcast new software package to the rover , which will be be by several “ transitional ” days , said Trosper . Assuming all go well , the squad will then pop out to prepare for the machine ’s minor first drive , in which the wanderer will traverse ahead about 16 feet ( 5 meter ) and then retreat back to its original position . This first drive could happen as early on as colloidal solution 9 , said Hwang , which would be followed by a long drive concisely afterwards .
Excitingly , the deployment of ingeniousness — a tiny helicopter — will be among Perseverance ’s first undertaking once it ’s deemed fit for action . A hopeful dune field chance to be located directly in front of the fomite , and that might be a good smear , or “ helipad location ” in the words of Hwang , to deploy the 4 - pound sign vehicle , which is currently attached to the belly of the rover . Ingenuity will have to go a 5 - column inch drop to the surface , which should n’t be a problem .
ingeniousness is a stripped - castanets technology demonstration , a potential precursor to a more ambitious delegacy . Steltzner say the helicopter is subject of taking color picture and video , but the collection of engineering data will be the initial antecedence . Perseverance will also take simulacrum of Ingenuity during the test , he summate .
Should the mental testing work , ingeniousness will be the first ethereal vehicle to take flight on an exotic world ( as far as we know ) . It ’ll take about 10 sols for Perseverance to deploy inventiveness and get out of trauma ’s way , while the flight tests will happen over the course of 30 sols . These flying examination , in which Ingenuity will attempt around five hop , should happen around sol 60 , which is n’t until this spring , said Hwang .
After this , the rover ’s software will go through yet another raise , this time to update its autonomous navigational capabilities . persistence will then proceed toward its first science situation , yet to be determined , and get its research activities , which wo n’t happen until the summer .
finally , Perseverance will collect surface samples and place them inside lilliputian canister , which the rover will then dismiss to the surface . Afuture mission , perhaps next decade , will then retrieve these samples and fetch them to Earth for analysis .
Whereas Curiosityshowedthat Mars was once habitable , Perseverance will endeavor to discover traces of actual life sentence . The rover — a testing ground on wheel — will run for microfossils of the Martian equivalent of bacteria or alga , which may have eked out an existence back when Mars had flowing water on its surface .
MarsMars roversSpacecraftSpaceflight
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