• UGI USER
  • Jan 31, 2024
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ANCIENT LAKE SEDIMENTS ON MARS

Why in the News?

  • NASA’s Rover Perseverance validates the presence of ancient lake sediments in Mars’ Jezero Crater.
Source: Daily Express

About the Findings:

  • Rover’s ground-penetrating radar supports Mars’ past water bodies, hinting at microbial habitats.
  • Cross-sectional rock views indicate sediment deposition, resembling Earth’s lakeshores, illuminating Mars’ geological past.
  • Radar soundings unveil river-fed sedimentary deposits in Jezero Crater, akin to Earth’s processes, aiding Martian history study.
 

About Perseverance Rover

·    Perseverance rover is a robotic explorer deployed for NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission.

·    Main task: Search for ancient life indicators and gather rock and soil samples for potential Earth return.

·    Samples are collected, encased in tubes, and left on Mars for future retrieval.

·    Launched: July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

·    Landed: Successfully on Mars’ Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.

·    Specifications: Approximately 3m long, 2.7m wide, and 2.2m tall, resembling a car in size, weighing around 1,025kg with all instruments.

·    Power: Utilizes Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) converting plutonium decay heat into electricity.