Will Perseverance Bring Progress? It's still too early to tell, but it certainly looks promising. The mission will bring 40 rocks and soil samples back to Earth in tubes for future use. Many laboratory analyses cannot be performed in space, and Perseverance's samples will be used in multiple laboratory experiments. The mission is expected to cost $2.7 billion. Will it be worth it? Let's take a look.
The Perseverance rover will be the first robot to land on Mars, scooping the first samples. It will leave behind the first cigar-sized sample return tube, designed to be picked up by a future mission and returned to Earth. The MOXIE instrument will pluck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of Mars and convert it into breathable oxygen. The MEDA mission will be up and running, and the RIMFAX rover will be on the lookout for water ice underground.
The Perseverance rover is a huge step forward for humankind. In its first mission, the rover will confirm Mars' location. The team will then proceed to configure the vehicle's base functions, including power, thermal, and communications. The Perseverance rover will then run through checks on the instruments, and continue broadcasting images of the planet's surroundings. Eventually, the rover will begin transmitting those images.
The Perseverance rover is scheduled to land on Mars in 2020. It will collect the first samples from the Martian surface. The rover will deposit a cigar-sized sample tube on the surface, which will be picked up by a future sample return mission. Another rover, the MOXIE instrument, will pluck carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere. The instrument will then convert the carbon dioxide into breathable oxygen. Meanwhile, two other rovers, MEDA and RIMFAX, will also be in operation.
The Perseverance rover will take the first samples from Mars. It will also leave the first cigar-sized sample tube on the surface, which will be picked up by the future sample return mission. The MOXIE instrument, a technology demonstrator, will pluck carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere and chemically convert it to breathable oxygen. Further, the MEDA lander will likely be operating, and the rovers will likely look for water ice.
Moreover, it is likely that the Mars 2020 mission will reveal many secrets. The mission will investigate the ancient lake-delta systems that populated the planet. It will also investigate the geological history of the planet and its moon. The mission is due to land on Mars in 2031. The first samples that come back will be from the planet's surface. However, the Perseverance rover will return to Earth no earlier than 2031.
Despite the obstacles that it faces on Mars, the Perseverance rover will continue to perform its primary mission. The mission's rover will be able to collect samples for scientists. The rover's camera, robotic arm, and scientific instruments will be located on its rover. It will also collect evidence of ancient Martians, which are the goal of the mission. With Perseverance, NASA will have a better understanding of the planet's ecosystems.