ASU scientist-led team to collect 'mind-blowing' Mars sample collected by rover
PHOENIX - In the past few days, NASA has been buzzing about a recent sample collected on Mars with key traits that may hold clues as to whether Mars was home to ancient life.
"It's the way we will really answer the question about whether life got started on Mars," said Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Dr. Laurie Leshin.
Dr. Leshin is an ASU alum and Arizona native. She said she is excited about the rock samples the Perseverance rover was already collecting.
"Our next big mission to Mars is going to be to pick up those samples and analyze them right here on Earth, at places like ASU and U of A," said Dr. Leshin.
Dr. Meenakshi Wadhwa, who is the director of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration, said a photo recently taken on Mars proves the latest sample collected there is mind-blowing. She says the sample from this rock could contain ancient life.
"It has all of the ingredients that we would look for indicating the possibility it hosted ancient life on Mars," said Dr. Wadhwa. "Presence of flowing water, presence of organics, and the possibility of chemical reactions that could provide energy source for microbial life."
The sample is not big, as shown on a 3D printed sample that the team at ASU created. However, there are lots of answers inside.
"We're going to pull apart these rocks grain by grain, and study them at the highest resolution possible," said Dr. Wadhwa. "We'll be able to tell if theres evidence of microbial life."
Collecting the sample is one thing, but getting the sample home is another thing altogether. Dr. Wadwha, who is also the principle scientist for the Mars Sample Return Program, said she and NASA will finalize the plan to get the samples back in 2025.
Firstly, the samples will need to be picked up on the planet.
"Then, you're going to have a rocket that launches from the surface of Mars," said Dr. Wadhwa. "That's going to be the first-ever launch from another planet. We've never done that before."
Although interest to study the sample is sky high, it might take 10 to 15 years to get it home to study.
"This is going to be one of the more ambitious missions we've ever undertaken," said Dr. Wadhwa.