Xinhua News Agency, Washington, July 30 (Reporter Tan Jingjing) The U.S. "Perseverance" rover was launched on the 30th from the U.S. United Launch Alliance "Cosmos God 5" carrier rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida. Empty, go to Mars to look for signs that life may have existed.
July to August of this year is the launch window for Mars exploration once every 26 months. Following the UAE’s first Mars probe "Hope" and China’s first autonomous Mars exploration mission "Tianwen-1" probe, as the third probe launched in this "Mars season", what is unique about the US Perseverance? Where?
Explore signs of life on Mars
According to NASA, after the Curiosity rover, Perseverance will be the ninth probe to visit the surface of Mars. The goals of the "Perseverance" mission include searching for signs of life that may have existed in the ancient times of Mars, exploring the geological and climatic characteristics of Mars, collecting rock and soil samples for future return to Earth, and exploring Mars accumulation technology for future robots and humans. .
According to the plan, Perseverance will land on the Jezero Crater north of the Martian equator on February 18, 2021, and spend at least one Martian year (approximately 687 Earth days) to explore the landing area.
The reason why I chose to land at Jezero Crater is that this area was a delta in the past, and it is very possible to find signs of past microbial life here. According to NASA, Jezero crater is about 45 kilometers in diameter and is located on the western edge of the Isidis Plain north of the Martian equator. About 3 to 4 billion years ago, a river flowed into the waters where Jezero Crater was located, forming sediments full of carbonate minerals and clay. The mission team believes that this ancient delta region may have preserved organic molecules and other potential signs of microbial life.
The scientific instruments carried by the "Perseverance" can detect organic matter and measure the composition of rocks and soil, which will help it find possible life on Mars.
Black technology on the "Perseverance"
"Perseverance" is about 3 meters long, 2.7 meters wide, 2.2 meters high (without robotic arm), weighs about 1,025 kilograms, and is about the size of a car. It is the largest and heaviest ever built by NASA. Rover.
According to NASA, Perseverance is equipped with a number of technologies that will help humans explore and land on Mars in the future. It is carrying a sample storage system to Mars, and the rock and soil samples collected on Mars are planned to be brought back to Earth by other Mars exploration missions in the future.
According to reports, the entire journey of the Perseverance includes launch, a flight of approximately 500 million kilometers, and a "7-minute terror" adventure before safely landing on the surface of Mars. The Mars rover will land on Mars with the aid of a landing aid system called "Sky Crane" powered by its own rocket. Sensors on its parachute will record its heating and operating conditions when it enters the Martian atmosphere, thereby helping engineers optimize future loading. Landing design of large space equipment such as human detectors and astronaut habitat facilities. "Perseverance" is also equipped with a system called "Terrain Relative Navigation", which enables the rover to quickly "understand" its position on the surface of Mars, and automatically adjust the descent trajectory during the landing toward the surface of Mars to ensure a safe landing. point.
In order to study the geological characteristics of the Martian surface, Perseverance also carries a ground penetrating radar called the Mars Underground Experimental Radar Imager (RIMFAX). This will be the first ground penetrating radar operating on the surface of Mars. Scientists can use It takes high-resolution images to study geological features such as buried ancient river beds. RIMFAX is also expected to be used in the future to find storage points for underground ice and help astronauts obtain drinking water resources.
The first Mars helicopter to travel
"Perseverance" is not alone in its 7-month interplanetary journey. There is a special "little partner" to travel with, it is the first Mars helicopter "Witty".
According to NASA, the "Wizwit" has a light structure and weighs only about 1.8 kilograms. It can be recharged by solar panels. The maximum flight time is 90 seconds, the maximum flight distance is 300 meters, and the flight altitude is about 3 meters to 4.5 meters. , It will be the first helicopter to fly on an extraterrestrial planet.
During the journey, “Wiz” will live in the “belly” of “Perseverance”, and upon arrival, it will meet the challenges of the harsh natural environment of Mars. In order to be able to fly in the thin Martian atmosphere, compared with a helicopter of the same mass that can fly on the earth, the "wit" propeller blades are much larger and the speed is much faster. The night temperature of Jezero Crater, the landing site of Perseverance, can be as low as minus 90 degrees Celsius. How to survive the cold Martian night has also become one of the main tasks of "Wisdom".
NASA said that if the "Witty" maiden flight is successful, it will perform four subsequent test flights within a window of 30 Mars days (about 31 Earth days). The mission team will verify the technology needed to fly in the Martian atmosphere through the "Witty" mission, and lay the foundation for the preparation of future robots or advanced vehicles carried by humans when exploring Mars.