Summary of the Mars 2020 Mission (So Far)
On July 30, 2020, a rover the size of a small SUV left the Earth to take on a seven month journey to the red planet. Perseverance, nicknamed Percy, and Ingenuity, a small helicopter inside the rover, were sent to explore the crater Jezero, a 750-mile-wide basin that could have hosted microbial life. The four main goals of the Mars 2020 mission, according to NASA, were to characterize the climate and geology of Mars, determine whether life has existed, and prepare for human exploration. The mission is still a work in progress, and discoveries are still being made, most of which that were unexpected.
Firstly, the rover confirmed Jezero's wet history, suggesting that the region experienced high floods and acted as a delta where an ancient river and a lake once met. Percy’s mosaic of five images shown below allowed scientists to come to this conclusion.
The rover also took several close-ups of various rocks around it that help us get a glimpse of not only the composition of rocks, but also its geological history. For example, Percy found evidence of volcanic rocks that helped determine the age of the rock, but the mysterious holes on it prompted a discussion. Some argue that they have been formed by erosion or by air-bubbles, while others suggest volcanic activity. While it is still not clear, Percy still brought some valuable information to light.
Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of Percy is its ability to drill into the Martian ground and collect rock samples, making it “one of the most complex robotic systems ever designed”, according to Stack Morgan, Perseverance’s deputy project scientist. It’s first attempt, on August 6th, offered a roller coaster of emotions to the scientists. The engineering of the drill worked exactly as expected, as the commanded depth (seven centimeters) was achieved, and the sample tube was placed in the storage. However, the volume measurement and the post-measurement image suggested that the sample tube was empty. After two days of analyzing data, the scientists concluded that the rock was not as hard as they anticipated, and essentially turned into dust.
Despite the setback, there is a silver lining: the rover now has access to a sealed sample of the Martian atmosphere. Percy is now gearing up for its second rock sampling attempt and is expected to obtain a sample soon.
Ingenuity, on the other hand, has been greatly successful in its fights. It was only designed to be a technological demonstration to see if powered flight would be possible on Mars. Successfully reaching its goal, it completed all of its technological demonstration goals this April, and moved on to a new phase. It explored “how aerial scouting and other functions could benefit future exploration of Mars and other worlds”, according to NASA.
So far, the Mars 2020 mission has been greatly successful and accomplished many of the tasks it was set out to do. It provided great insights on the Martian landscape and has provided crucial information for human exploration on Mars, the next big step for mankind.
Works Cited:
“Assessing Perseverance's First Sample Attempt.” NASA, NASA, May 2021, mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/status/320/assessing-perseverances-first-sample-attempt/.
Betz, Eric. “Mars Madness: A Closer Look at Jezero Crater.” Astronomy.com, 9 Feb. 2021, astronomy.com/news/2021/02/mars-madness-a-closer-look-at-jezero-crater-perseverances-landing-site.
Grossman, Lisa. “See Some of the Most Intriguing Photos from Nasa's Perseverance Rover so Far.” Science News, 19 Aug. 2021, www.sciencenews.org/article/perseverance-rover-mars-photos-nasa.
“Mars 2020 Mission Contributions to NASA's Mars Exploration Program Science Goal.” NASA, 2020, mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/science/goals/.
“NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter to Begin New Demonstration Phase – NASA's Mars Exploration Program.” NASA, NASA, 30 Apr. 2021, mars.nasa.gov/news/8936/nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-to-begin-new-demonstration-phase/.