NASA's Perseverance has run into some trouble. It has drilled into Mars and collected its 14th rock sample, but the rover's system isn't able to seal the tube that held the sample nicknamed "Mageik." According to CNET, the rover drills holes the same width as a pencil, and collects samples of Martian rock. NASA will pick the samples up in a future mission to be brought back to Earth.
The problem was reported back on October 12, when NASA tweeted it on the Perseverance Mars Rover's Twitter account. It says that the sample is stored safely in the caching assembly, but they are still figuring out how to cap it.
Over the weekend, I collected my 14th rock core, but I was unable to seal the sample tube. The sample is stored safely inside my caching assembly, but some work remains to figure out how to cap and seal the tube. #SamplingMars pic.twitter.com/CrcZLBO1Z6
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) October 11, 2022
What Went Wrong?
One possible reason for it is Mars' dust getting into the lip of the tube, which can be seen in the imaging inside the caching system. The dust is preventing the system from putting the cap on the sample. In the process of sealing, a robotic arm puts the tube with the sample in of the seven dispensers, a seal is pressed fully into the tube.
The system has a built-in sweeping tool, which can be used to dust off the tube's opening. It also pushes the rock sample down the tube if necessary, according to NASA. However, after using it, the problem still persists. As of now, the problem is still being troubleshot.
This isn't the first time that the Mars Rover experienced some anomalies. There were instances when pebbles interfered with sampling activities in early 2021. This August, there was even a rock core sample that just went missing. Either way, the Perseverance stayed true to its name and persevered.
How Will NASA Bring the Samples Back to Earth?
NASA will conduct a multi-mission campaign to retrieve the samples called Mars Sample return. The concept design and technology that will be used are still in the development phase. NASA pointed out that the campaign was one of the most "ambitious endeavors in spaceflight history. The mission will involve dozens of government agencies, and will have multiple spacecraft and launches.
Michael Meyer, the lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program, said that returning a sample from Mars has been a priority for the planetary science community, since the 1980s. He also said that the potential opportunity to finally bring a sample back from Mars, has brought out a torrent of creativity.
It would be better for the samples to be brought to Earth, than for them to be studied on the red planet. NASA expressed that the kind of cutting-edge lab technologies that scientists will use to study the rocks, are too big and too complex to send out there.
The core samples will help with scientists' questions about whether life existed on the planet or not. Daniel Glavin, an astrobiologist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is helping design systems that will protect the samples from contamination. There will also be sterilization measures to make sure that nothing hazardous would be taken back to Earth.
