In the latest images released by NASA, a cylindrical object is lying on the characteristic red soil of Mars. This is a priceless Christmas gift that they can only unwrap after 2030.
The Space magazine cites a statement from NASA stating that the “mysterious object” lying scattered in an area known as “South Séítah” will bring a “significant moment in the search for life on Mars.”
The mysterious object left by Perseverance on the Martian surface – (Image: JPL/NASA)
This strange object is actually a tube containing samples of Martian rock and soil that the Perseverance lander, a rover-type exploration robot, just left on the ground.
With the “calm” weather on the Red Planet, the tube will remain safe until it is retrieved by Perseverance or two helicopters (similar to Ingenuity Mars, which completed its mission over a month ago) to be taken to Jezero Crater, where a NASA spacecraft is waiting to transport it back to Earth. This sample return mission is expected to take place in the 2030s.
In fact, Perseverance collects up to two tubes of material at each location. It carries one tube and leaves another on the ground as a backup. The NASA robot is expected to gather samples from 10 locations in an expansive area known as “Three Forks,” an ancient glacial plain of which “South Séítah” is one of the smaller regions.
The recently collected sample is taken from a rock named “Malay.” Before collecting this sample, NASA revealed that preliminary analyses by Perseverance had found organic compounds in the same area, a component that could be related to life.
This special gift was completed by Perseverance just days before the end of its main mission on January 6, 2023, marking two full years on Mars. However, this robot shows no signs of wear and tear, so it will continue its work. It also has a “companion” elsewhere on Mars, the Curiosity rover, an older robot that has been operational since 2012, continuing to function tirelessly years after its mission ended.
