Was there life on Mars? When the rover landed, it began to study the delta of an ancient river in the Jesiro crater, and the Perseverance Rover finally encounters this intriguing question. 2021 February. On May 28, 2022, it erased a 5 cm diameter disk in one of the lowest rocks in the Delta, making it the oldest possible lifespan.

A place to live

Jesiro is considered the crater Perfect place To preserve the remnants of a past life. About 3.5 to 3.9 billion years ago, water would have flowed intermittently for about 400,000 years. In November 2019, observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter probe indicated that the Jizero crater contained deposits of hydrated silica, a mineral known to protect small shells and microbes that are specific to the aquatic environment.

“Pay attention to the buffet before filling the plate”

The rover landed a few kilometers from the delta. So I had to join him and explain why he is starting this mission now. So far, he has dedicated himself Study of the bottom of the Jesiro crater. Therefore, it has now reached the delta, which is about forty meters high from the crater.

Photo caption: 5 cm disk dug into the soil of Mars by persistence.

The rover pilots plan to send the machine to the front of the delta and then descend, carefully analyzing the ground each time to determine whether to sample. “It’s like watching the buffet before filling your plateJennifer Trosper, Project Manager for the Perseverance Mission on the review site, explains in a colorful way. Nature. A crucial choice, because the rover has only 43 sample collection tubes, thirty of which must return to Earth by 2033 for further analysis.