NASA Reveals Progress On Rover Problem, New Sample Return Plan, Progress, & More

Ever since early 2021, the Perseverance rover has stayed busy with a host of different jobs on the Martian surface. One of its main tasks has to do with the Mars Sample Return mission and collecting different samples with the goal of sending them to Earth in the future. A job that involves many different moving parts and would be a first.

Over the last couple of weeks, NASA has provided some valuable updates regarding its progress, some slight complications, and how the overall mission is coming along. This included a new update just yesterday regarding issues with sealing a sample that was collected. Not to mention more information and graphics relating to the fascinating sample return process.

The goal of the Mars Exploration Program is to explore Mars and to provide a continuous flow of scientific information and discovery through a carefully selected series of robotic orbiters, landers, and mobile laboratories interconnected by a high-bandwidth Mars/Earth communications network. As for the MSR mission, if successfully returned, these samples could provide invaluable information about our planetary neighbor. Here I will go more in-depth into the recent seal issue that was resolved, exactly what progress has been made, what to expect in the future, and more.

Credit:

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:06 - Seal Issue & Progress
3:25 - Updated Sample Return Plan

[rogerrinkavage]

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[ninehundreddollarluxuryyac]

The past two years should have taught us not to look for microbes which we have no immunity to. Scientists who want to look for life on Mars should go there with Elon Musk and look for life "on mars". Given the unknowable risk of a sample return, it would be worth the cost for the rest of us to pay for their ticket to go there.