NASA's Perseverance rover is going on a stop for almost two weeks, but it will be a part of the monitoring it will face in the coming Sols, as it will look into Mars' sand transport. Yes, sand transport is one of the factors that researchers are investigating on Mars, and it seems close to science and activities on the planet.
This process is also known as "sampling stops," and it would help the public learn more about the many events taking place on Mars.
NASA Perseverance: Sampling Stops to Detect Sand Transport
(Photo : NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Cornell University via Getty Images)
In this handout released by NASA, angular and smooth surface of rocks are seen in an image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit January 6, 2003. The rover landed on Mars January 3 and sent it's first high resolution color image January 6.
The Mars exploration 2020 mission has several goals in mind, and these objectives aim to give the world many information and developments on the neighboring planet. One of the focuses is to discover different things that come with sampling stops. According to SciTechDaily, the Perseverance rover is now at Skinner Ridge rock to collect samples in the area.
However, the report also said there are more advantages to Perseverance's sampling stops than one sees. It will also focus on sand transport in the area, and stopping for twelve Sols for the sampling would give the researchers adequate time to look at different factors in the Red Planet, including "change detection" experiments.
Read Also: NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Scouts for the Landing Sites of 'Mars Sample Return Campaign'
Mars: Why is It Important to Know its Sand Transport?
Change detection experiments on Mars also see the sand transport or wind movement in the area, which would help detect a lot about the planet and see different changes in its environment. It is not the primary goal of NASA, but it comes with the current mission that it focuses on, like hitting two birds with one stone on this objective.
NASA Perseverance and the Mars Mission
The Perseverance rover focuses on bringing multiple information regarding the Martian planet for the world to know and see. However, that is not the case for the rover now, as it brings many more functions to its missions, as NASA gave it more tasks that far exceed the expectations and its purpose on the planet.
One of its primary missions is to explore Mars and retrieve rock samples it would carefully stow and collect before placing them on its dedicated vessel that would soon be taken back to the Earth for studies.
The Mars mission is a massive step for humanity, as it is one of the modern takes on their operations to the planet, especially now that the world is connected online and receives updates in real-time. NASA and the Perseverance team update the world with the many changes and advances made by the rover during its time on the planet.
Now, it is standing still and observing the Red Planet for many things, and it may look like it does not do much or no intricate procedures will take place, but it aims to discover a lot about the new world. There may not be much on Mars to see, but there are many secrets or unseen elements that makeup what it is, and these should have massive focus from NASA and the rover.
Related Article: NASA's Ingenuity Mars Captures Ridgeline Near Ancient River for Perseverance to Study
This article is owned by TechTimes
Written by Isaiah Richard
