The diligent rover successfully drills its first rock on Mars

(CNN) – The diligent rover successfully drilled into the Martian rock on Thursday, creating a complete core model that could one day return to Earth. But NASA needs to make sure the best images are safe in the tube before sealing the sample and storing it on the rover.

So far, the data and initial images sent by the rover suggest that there was a prototype inside the tube after drilling a rock selected by a team of diligent scientists.

After the initial images are taken, the rover bit and vibrates the tube for five seconds to remove any remaining material from the outside of the tube.

This may have caused the model to slide further down the pipe.

Subsequent pictures taken after that were described as “endless due to bad sunlight conditions” Company. Diligence will take more pictures in the best light conditions using its cameras before taking the next steps in the modeling process.

After diligently attempting to drill another rock target on August 5, an additional step was taken to take additional pictures before closing and storing the sample tube. During that attempt, the rock shattered and once the pipe was thrown there was no pattern.

Jennifer Trosper, mission project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said in a statement, “The project got its first core rock.” We did what we came here to do. We will do this little problem with the lighting levels in the pictures and will continue to be encouraged. There are scenes in this tube. “

The rover uses a rotary hammer drill and socket bit to drill through rocks and collect specimens slightly thicker than a pencil. This model system is located at the end of the rover’s 2 meter long robot arm.

Diligent sample pipe with rock core inside.

Diligence is currently exploring the Citadelle site in the Giuseppe Greater, which was once the site of the oldest lake, billions of years ago. The rover’s specific target is a rock called Rochette, which is the size of a briefcase and is part of an 800 – meter ridge of rocks and boulders.

The mission team should receive additional images of what is inside the sample tube by September 4th. If the pictures taken when the sun is at the best angle do not help the team determine if there is a model, the pipe will be sealed and the mobile vehicle will measure its size.

If diligence can successfully collect samples from Mars, future missions will be able to return them to Earth and reveal whether there was microbial life on Mars.