rover
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A Bonus ‘Hitchhiker’ Will Come Back From Mars in Perseverance’s Sample Tubes
The Perseverance rover has been toiling on the Martian surface for over three years, collecting rock samples that will eventually be brought to Earth if all goes according to plan. But the rover has also picked up hitchhikers, in the form of traces of Martian atmosphere that are squeezed into the “headspace” of the sample…
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There’s Trouble on Mars for NASA’s Perseverance Rover
The Perseverance rover is at risk of losing its ability to zap Martian rocks with lasers after one of its instruments began malfunctioning last month. One of two covers on SHERLOC, an instrument fitted on the end of the robot’s arm to look for microscopic clues on rocks, is partially open, interfering with the rover’s…
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NASA’s Mars Helicopter Will Do a ‘Wiggle’ Test After Fatal Malfunction
It’s been a week since NASA announced the end of its Mars helicopter mission, and we’re still not over losing our beloved Ginny. But apparently, neither is NASA, as the space agency is still trying to figure out what happened during Ingenuity’s last flight on Mars. During a livestream held on Wednesday to pay tribute…
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Japan’s Moon Lander Springs Back to Life, Defying the Odds
SLIM fell into an unfortunate position last week, with its solar arrays pointed away from the Sun, but the lander has resumed operations after regaining power.