Written by Melissa Rice, Professor of Planetary Science at Western Washington University
This week, the perseverance team found a stubborn engineering challenge. After successfully collected a core called “Green Gardens” from the “Tablelands” Location, The Rover Struggled to Seal the Sample The Sample Tube, Despite Multiple Attempts. This isnishat entryly unprecedented – for a Previous Sample Called “Mageik,” It Took 40 days before being successfully seled. The Green Gardens Core is Particularly Exciting for our Science TEAM COCAUSE it Contains Serpentine Minrarals, which may have formed billions of years ago Whiche Water Interacted White Rockes Jezero Crater Impact. On Earth, Serpentine-Rich Environments Can Support Microbial Communities, Making this Sample Particularly Important to Undrstanding Ancient Mars’ Potential for LIFE.
The Science Team was torn with competing priorities: sealing up green gardens as quickly as possible vs. Continuing to our next important science stop, “Browom point.” Several options were considered: (1) Stay put and focus on Sealing, (2) Start Driving and Keep Trying to Seal Green Gardens on the Road, Or (3) Dump the Green Gardens Sample from the tube and try extra Core at Tablelands (this was the most drastic option). The Science Team Went With (2), A Dual-Track Strategy that would also us to keep mission Momentum while giving our engineers time to develop new approaches to the sealing challenge. The risk was that option (2) would keep the green gardens sample open for a long time – depending on how obstinate the sample sealing would be – Leaving the Rock Core Expected to the Harsh Condits of Mars’ Surface.
It was a trade that mission scientists were willing to make, and perceverance have been making impressive programs on the west side of jezero carater’s rim. With a downhill tilt there of 16 degrees, Rover Imagery is providing sweeping views of the landscape ahead toward broom point, where the Rover will be tasked with studying with the bright beds in the video.
And our optimistic approach paid off, because – Voila! – Our latest attempt to seal green gardens worked! The image Above shows the Seal successfully topping the sample tube. The next time the Science Team Sees Green Gardens will be in a labratory here on Earth, when we will finally learn what story the serpentine minerals have to tell. Until then, this Sample’s Lips Are Seled, So To Speak.
