Nasa’s Perseverance rover, which is collecting rock and soil samples on Mars, is also gathering atmospheric samples that have sparked significant interest among scientists. The air contained within the rover’s titanium sample tubes offers a unique opportunity to study the Martian atmosphere and its historical changes.
Atmospheric insights
Atmospheric scientists are particularly excited about the “headspace”—the air surrounding the rocky material inside the sample tubes.This air can provide crucial information about Mars’ current climate and its evolution over time. As Brandi Carrier, a planetary scientist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explains, “The air samples from Mars would tell us not just about the current climate and atmosphere, but how it’s changed over time. It will help us understand how climates different from our own evolve.”
Rock and gas interactions
Among the collected samples, one tube contains only gas, while others include gas interacting with the rocky material. These interactions are valuable as they could reveal how much water vapor is present near the Martian surface, influencing the formation of ice and the water cycle on Mars. Scientists are also keen to detect noble gases like neon, argon, and xenon, which are nonreactive and may have remained unchanged in the atmosphere for billions of years. Such findings could shed light on whether Mars originally had an atmosphere and how it compared to early Earth’s.
Future Mars exploration
The headspace air samples will also help determine the size and toxicity of Martian dust particles, crucial for ensuring the safety of future human missions to Mars. Justin Simon, a geochemist at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center, highlights the broader implications: “The gas samples have a lot to offer Mars scientists. Even scientists who don’t study Mars would be interested because it will shed light on how planets form and evolve.”
Analyzing the samples
The process of studying these gases will be similar to techniques used on lunar samples from the Apollo 17 mission. Scientists will extract the gases using airtight enclosures and cold traps. This method is part of a larger effort to understand planetary materials and can also be applied to gases from terrestrial sources like hot springs and volcanoes.
The Perseverance mission is focused on astrobiology, searching for signs of ancient microbial life, and studying Mars’ geology and climate history. These efforts are essential for preparing for human exploration of the Red Planet.
Atmospheric insights
Atmospheric scientists are particularly excited about the “headspace”—the air surrounding the rocky material inside the sample tubes.This air can provide crucial information about Mars’ current climate and its evolution over time. As Brandi Carrier, a planetary scientist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explains, “The air samples from Mars would tell us not just about the current climate and atmosphere, but how it’s changed over time. It will help us understand how climates different from our own evolve.”
Rock and gas interactions
Among the collected samples, one tube contains only gas, while others include gas interacting with the rocky material. These interactions are valuable as they could reveal how much water vapor is present near the Martian surface, influencing the formation of ice and the water cycle on Mars. Scientists are also keen to detect noble gases like neon, argon, and xenon, which are nonreactive and may have remained unchanged in the atmosphere for billions of years. Such findings could shed light on whether Mars originally had an atmosphere and how it compared to early Earth’s.
Future Mars exploration
The headspace air samples will also help determine the size and toxicity of Martian dust particles, crucial for ensuring the safety of future human missions to Mars. Justin Simon, a geochemist at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center, highlights the broader implications: “The gas samples have a lot to offer Mars scientists. Even scientists who don’t study Mars would be interested because it will shed light on how planets form and evolve.”
Analyzing the samples
The process of studying these gases will be similar to techniques used on lunar samples from the Apollo 17 mission. Scientists will extract the gases using airtight enclosures and cold traps. This method is part of a larger effort to understand planetary materials and can also be applied to gases from terrestrial sources like hot springs and volcanoes.
The Perseverance mission is focused on astrobiology, searching for signs of ancient microbial life, and studying Mars’ geology and climate history. These efforts are essential for preparing for human exploration of the Red Planet.
