NASA believes that Mars rover is successful in obtaining a rock sample

Perseverance rover sent by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has succeeded in obtaining a Martian rock sample after the second attempt, probably.

During the first attempt by NASA, the rock was too fragile to withstand the drilling process. However, the data received on September 1 indicates the process of obtaining the sample was successful.

NASA was not certain about the recent accomplishment as the images sent were too dull due to the poor sunlight conditions.

Clear images are expected to arrive by Saturday, September 4.

“The team determined a location, and selected and cored a viable and scientifically valuable rock,” Jennifer Trosper, project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, said in a statement.

“We will work through this small hiccup with the lighting conditions in the images and remain encouraged that there is sample in this tube.”

The rock that was acquired was of the size of a briefcase named “Rochette”. It is approximately half a mile (900 meters) long.

The rover landed on the Mars’Jezero crate – the site on the ancient lake – in February to discover the signs of ancient microbial life.

This rover’s turret-mounted scientific instruments are capable of determining chemical and mineral composition as well as look for organic matter.

It extracts samples slightly thicker than a pencil using a drill and a hollow coring bit at the end of its 7-foot-long (2-meter-long) robotic arm, which it stores under its belly.

NASA plans to bring back 30 such samples to Earth by 2030, where scientists will be able to examine them in more detail to find out about the existence of microbial life.