ORLANDO, Fla. — More than six months after first landing on Mars, NASA’s Perseverance Rover completed a major milestone this week.
The rover, nicknamed Percy, recently collected a sample of Martian rock, the first ever drilled on another planet.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
READ: Inspiration4 ‘Go’ for historic all-civilian launch from Kennedy Space Center
The sample will be sent back to Earth through the Mars Sample Return campaign to be examined in ways that aren’t possible on the red planet.
It’s official: I’ve now captured, sealed, and stored the first core sample ever drilled on another planet, in a quest to return samples to Earth. It’s the first in a one-of-a-kind Martian rock collection. #SamplingMars
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) September 6, 2021
Read more: https://t.co/bs4Hd4Fzyw pic.twitter.com/2jwF7cOcMZ
NASA will host a virtual briefing at noon Friday to provide an update on the rover’s mission, including its successful rock sampling.
The update will be streamed live on NASA TV, the NASA app, and on their website here, as well as their social media platforms.
During the briefing, representatives from the Perseverance mission and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and Planetary Science Division will discuss what the rover’s instruments were able to learn about the rock sample, and what its findings mean for future missions.
READ: Brevard Public Schools face tight deadline to show state its mask mandate is in compliance
Viewers will be able to submit questions during the briefing through social media using the tag #AskNASA.
Perseverance landed on Mars back in February and began the science phase of its mission in June.
An earlier attempt to collect a Martian rock sample failed because the rock crumbled during the drilling process.
According to NASA, the rover moved to a different location and attempted to collect a sample from a rock nicknamed “Rochette,” which held up better.
I’ve captured my first Mars sample and I’m ready to core a second sample from this same rock. This time, I will run through the entire process of coring and sealing the tube without pausing. #SamplingMars continues.
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) September 7, 2021
My team to share the latest Friday: https://t.co/SYRNUYfi9h pic.twitter.com/7nQ3fz0T9p
READ: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex announces 4-pack ticket special for Florida residents
Since then, scientists have been using Perseverance’s instruments to analyze the rock from which the sample was taken.
Part of the Perseverance mission includes the search for signs of ancient microbial life on Mars, and potentially paving the way for future human exploration of the planet.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
