Perseverance is pushing the limits of Martian science by using its SHERLOC instrument to detect organic compounds, but harsh conditions make it difficult.
To overcome this, the team devised a first-of-its-kind experiment: they smooshed freshly drilled rock tailings to create a smooth surface for analysis. This clever move paid off, yielding valuable spectral data from a mineral with astrobiological significance.
Innovative Science on Mars
The Perseverance team is always looking for innovative ways to make the most of the rover’s tools on Mars. One of these tools is SHERLOC, an instrument mounted on the rover’s arm that detects organic compounds, playing a key role in the search for evidence of past microbial life.
However, identifying these organics is challenging. The surface of most rocks Perseverance encounters has been exposed to intense ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and the oxidizing effects of the Martian atmosphere. Over time, these factors can degrade organic molecules, making them harder to detect. That’s why scientists prefer to analyze “fresh” rock surfaces when using SHERLOC.
SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) is a sophisticated instrument that uses cameras, spectrometers, and a laser to search for organic molecules and minerals that have interacted with water—potential clues to past microbial life. It also includes a black-and-white context camera and is supported by WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering), a color camera designed for detailed close-ups of rock grains and surface textures.
A Groundbreaking Experiment: Smooshing Rocks
Last week the rover cored a serpentine-rich rock aptly named “Green Gardens,” resulting in a fresh pile of drill tailings. To get this material ready for the SHERLOC instrument, which requires a smooth area to obtain a measurement, the science team did something for the first time on Mars: We smooshed it!
Using the contact sensor of our sampling system, designed to indicate when our drill is touching a rock as it prepares to take a core, Perseverance pressed down into the tailings pile, compacting it into a flat, stable patch for SHERLOC to investigate.
A Spectacular Success and Future Adventures
This unorthodox approach worked perfectly! The resulting SHERLOC spectral scan of these fresh tailings — which include serpentine, a mineral of key astrobiological interest — was a success. These flattened drill tailings are a great example of how a bit of out-of-the-box (or out-of-this-world!) thinking helps us maximize science on Mars. With this success behind us, the rover is rolling west toward the heart of “Witch Hazel Hill,” where more ancient rocks — and who knows what surprises — await!
Written by Henry Manelski, Ph.D. student at Purdue University.
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2 Comments
Anybody remember the odd names that Marvel comics invented for some of its gadgets in the 60’s and 70’s { especially SHIELD agent gear }? Seems like NASA is revisiting the old days.
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