Perseverance's "Silver Mountain" finds could reshape Mars myths
For Donald Trump, the planet Mars is to be a priority, so NASA will find successes even more useful. Such a success just occurred. The rover, which collects dozens of samples, made a discovery "unlike anything we've ever seen before."
NASA's Perseverance rover has collected a unique rock sample named "Silver Mountain" from Mars' Jezero Crater, featuring unprecedented textures, reports The Economic Times.
According to scientists, the sample has the potential to change our knowledge about Mars. It was placed in a special tube, which will later be examined on Earth.
Now that I've completed my climb out of Jezero Crater, I'm back to #SamplingMars! My 26th sample, known as "Silver Mountain," has textures unlike anything we've seen before. I've sealed the rock core in a sample tube so it can be analyzed in labs on Earth in the future – as stated on the NASA rover's profile on X.
The rover's task is to collect samples that will help better understand the geological history and climate of Mars and ultimately determine, whether life ever existed on it.
In August of the previous year, NASA published the rover's route. It was to begin its climb to a height of around 250 metres along the western edge of Jezero Crater. It is then supposed to reach a place known as "Virgin Hazel Hill."
It is known that "Silver Mountain" was collected in Blue Hill. It has a diameter of about 3 centimetres. – This marks our first Noachian-aged outcrop sample, an important milestone in our mission to uncover the geological history of Jezero Crater – explains NASA.
According to scientist Nicolas Randazzo, rock samples may reveal "significant clues" regarding past water activity and the potential habitation of Mars.
However, before we learn the truth, we will have to wait a little longer. The agency announced that the samples are expected to arrive on Earth in 2035 or at the latest by 2039.
Bill Nelson, former NASA administrator and Trump administration nominee for the position of NATO head, suggested that Mars will be a priority for the agency in the future.
