Since NASA's Perseverance rover arrived on Mars on February 18, 2021, it has explored and collected rock samples from the Jezero Crater. Then on its 634th and 639th Martian days on December 2 and 6, 2022, the rover collected its first regolith sample as part of its mission to explore the Red Planet's geological processes and look for signs of extraterrestrial life.
According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team, the two new samples of regolith differ from the Martian rock samples that the Perseverance rover drilled from boulders as the former was taken from a pile of wind-blown sand and dust that look like a dune on Earth, albeit smaller.
Objectives of Collecting Regolith Samples
NASA-JPL shared a photo last month of the rover collecting regolith samples on Mars. The rover's front hazard cameras took those images and sent them to the ground-based crew.
The mission is part of the Mars Sample Return campaign in which one of the two regolith samples will be considered for deposit on the surface of the Red Planet in the coming weeks.
Scientists could study the regolith samples using advanced lab equipment on Earth to better understand the geological processes that sculpted Mars today. Through this, engineers would have an idea of how to build future missions as well as the needed technology to be used by future Martian explorers.
Astrobiology or the hunt for traces of ancient microbial life is a significant goal for Perseverance's mission on Mars. The rover will analyze the planet's geology and previous climate, lay the groundwork for future human exploration of Mars, and be the first mission to gather and store Martian rock and regolith.
In collaboration with the European Space Agency, NASA's future space missions include deploying spacecraft to Mars to collect these cached samples from the surface and bring them to Earth for further investigation.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration strategy, which includes Artemis missions to assist in preparation for human exploration of the Red Planet. JPL, which is overseen by Caltech in Pasadena, California for NASA, created and operates the Perseverance rover.
Checking for Harmful Substances in the Regolith Sample
Scientists are also hopeful that Martian regolith could be an important resource for crewed space missions to Mars that aim for longer stays and sustainability in space. The fine material could be packed against habitats to help shield humans from the harsh solar radiation that streams down to the Martian surface, which is not protected by a magnetic field like Earth.
But before getting too enthused about this technique, scientists must first determine whether Martian regolith includes perchlorate. It is a hazardous substance that might pose a health danger to humans if consumed or breathed in high quantities.
As a result, interest in Martian regolith has grown, as has the attempt to include the material in the projected Martian sample return mission being prepared by NASA and the ESA to bring the rover's collection back to Earth.
Scientists may further analyze the regolith in more depth in labs equipped with more sensitive and powerful equipment than the chemical analysis devices that robots have been carrying while on their mission on Mars.
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