Air from Mars will come to Earth and scientists can't wait for it
Nasa's Perseverance rover, which has entered a new unexplored world on Mars, is not only collecting rock and soil samples but also capturing valuable atmospheric data in the process.Â
The rover, which has already sealed 24 samples in titanium tubes, is inadvertently providing atmospheric scientists with a unique opportunity to study the Martian atmosphere in unprecedented detail.Â
The titanium sample tubes contain air from Mars.Â
While the primary focus of the Mars Sample Return campaign has been on gathering rock cores and regolith to search for signs of ancient microbial life, the air trapped in the extra space around these samples, known as "headspace," could prove to be an unexpected treasure trove of information.
Perseverance continues its mission on Mars. (Photo: Nasa)
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."
The headspace in these sample tubes could provide crucial insights into Mars' water cycle, the presence of trace gases, and the composition of the planet's ancient atmosphere. Of particular interest are noble gases such as neon, argon, and xenon, which may have remained unchanged in the Martian atmosphere for billions of years.
Justin Simon, a geochemist at Nasa's Johnson Space Center, emphasizes the broader implications of this research: "Even scientists who don't study Mars would be interested because it will shed light on how planets form and evolve."
Mars sample return
The potential of these atmospheric samples is further highlighted by recent studies of lunar air samples brought back by Apollo 17 astronauts. Using sophisticated gas extraction techniques, scientists were able to analyze the Moon's tenuous atmosphere 50 years after the samples were collected.
While the volume of gas in each Perseverance sample tube is small, researchers are considering combining gases from multiple tubes to conduct more comprehensive experiments. This innovative approach could provide a wealth of data on the size and toxicity of Martian dust particles, crucial information for future human missions to the Red Planet.
As Perseverance continues its mission on Mars, each rock sample it collects brings with it not just geological data, but also a snapshot of the planet's atmosphere. This unexpected bonus in the Mars Sample Return campaign promises to revolutionise our understanding of Mars' climate history and atmospheric evolution, offering new insights into the formation and development of planets beyond our own.
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