The Perseverance rover is back to work on Mars after having to temporarily shut down for a few weeks due to solar conjunction. The solar conjunction happened when the Red Planet slipped behind the sun and disappeared from Earth's view.
The Mars rover has sent the first photos that it took of its surroundings on the planet's Jezero Crater, which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared online.
It has been more than a year since the Perseverance and its helicopter companion, Perseverance, were launched to space. Both Mars robots landed on the Red Planet last February.
Since landing, the car-sized robot has completed two rock sample collections. It also has taken multiple photos of its surroundings while on Mars.
Perseverance Rover Snaps New Photos of Mars
I’m back to work, parked between these two beautiful outcrops. Been doing some imaging, weather studies, chemistry experiments and getting a software update too.
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) October 25, 2021
Latest pics: https://t.co/Ex1QDo3eC2 pic.twitter.com/6KpVxVscbt
The Perseverance rover has snapped new photos of Mars. These new photos are the first shots the Mars rover has taken since it had to temporarily go offline due to solar conjunction.
According to a report by Space, solar conjunction happens when Mars slips behind the sun from our planet's perspective. When this happens, the sun can disrupt communications between Earth and the Red Planet. NASA eventually chose to just temporarily shut down all its Mars robots.
The Perseverance rover's new photos have been shared on the robot's Twitter account.
"I'm back to work, parked between these two beautiful outcrops. Been doing some imaging, weather studies, chemistry experiments and getting a software update too," the tweet reads.
The Perseverance Rover
The Perseverance Rover is a car-sized robot that is part of NASA's Mars 2020 Exploration Program. The Mars robot was launched to outer space along with a helicopter called Ingenuity on July 20, 2020.
Both the Perseverance and the Ingenuity landed on Mars last February, with the latter tucked inside the belly of the former.
The main goal of the Perseverance rover is to collect samples from Mars. It also aims to look for other signs of life on the Red Planet.
Related Article: NASA Perseverance Rover's New Mission-Critical Images as Latest Evidence of Water's Existence on Mars
Perseverance's Rock Sample Collection
To date, the Perseverance rover has done two rock sample collections on the Red Planet. Both rock samples have been taken from a Martian rock that has been nicknamed "Rochette."
Its first rock sample collection took two tries before it was deemed a success. The first attempt ended up in failure when the rock sample crumbled, and NASA deemed that it could no longer be used.
The Perseverance rover's second attempt at its first collection took place early last month. The Perseverance rover's second attempt was successful.
The robot was able to succeed a lot faster with its second Mars rock sample collection, which only took one attempt for the Perseverance. The second rock sample collection took place a few days after the first collection.
Read Also: NASA: Martian Rock Samples From Perseverance Rover Could Hint on Possible Life Forms in the Past
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isabella James
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