NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has drilled its 16th sample from an intriguing rock, inaugurating its latest assignment that has it exploring the top of an ancient river delta.
The newly collected sample, the size of a piece of classroom chalk, is safely tucked in Perseverance's belly, NASA announced(opens in new tab) on Friday (March 31). It was drilled from a rock that could conceivably harbor evidence of ancient microbial life, if life ever existed on Mars, mission team members said.
The car-sized Perseverance has been collecting samples and hunting for signs of life on Mars since it landed inside the Red Planet's Jezero Crater in February 2021. The rover has been venturing into new landscapes as part of specific science campaigns, the latest of which has the six-wheeled robot exploring the top of Jezero's ancient river delta. (Jezero contained a big lake and a delta billions of years ago.)
Source: www.space.com
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