The Perseverance robot, which this Thursday reached the surface of Mars, is one of the highest-tech instruments manufactured by humans.
The device developed by the National Administration of Aeronautics and Space (NASA) toured 480 millions of kilometers, entered Mars at a speed of almost 20. 01 km / h and landed in one piece.
It was quite a feat of space engineering, but why a device So sophisticated did it send its first images with such low quality?
NASA shared two images of the site where Perseverance was positioned, in the Jazero crater on Mars: “Hello World. My first look at my forever home ”, it said on Twitter.
With low quality and in black and white, they show the terrain of the crater.
Those images were the first, low resolution, but they will not be the only ones and the quality will increase, says NASA.
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Driving cameras
The first two images sent by Perseverance to Earth were taken by the Hazard Avoidance Cameras (HazCams) , six cameras installed to monitor the terrain.
They have the auxiliary function of the controllers to handle the robot and are protected from the turbulent entry to the surface of Mars and its setting on the ground.
“The HazCams detect hazards in the front and rear path of the robot, such as large rocks, ditches or sand dunes. Engineers also use the front HazCams to see where the robotic arm can move to make measurements, take pictures, and collect rock and soil samples, ”explains NASA.
Upon reaching the planet, the protective covers transparent over these cameras are still aba n placed , which affects the resolution of the images they capture.
“These first Images are low resolution versions known as ‘thumbnails’. The higher resolution versions will be available later, ”the agency indicated.
This Friday, more were released.
Perseverance not only has the Hazcams: has 23 cameras .
Of these, nine are for engineering, seven for scientific work, as well as seven for management (including the six Hazcams.
This weekend, as the robot and its cameras, as well as the data being processed in the control center on Earth, reported NASA.
How send the images?
The Perseverance has installed three antennas , each with different technologies and uses that serve as “ears” and “voice” for the robot.
The antenna of ultra-high frequency (UHF) is the communication link with the Earth.
It does not do it directly, but its signal is sent to the orbiters of NASA positioned around Mars. From there the signals are forwarded to the mission control centers on Earth.
“In general, a radio signal takes between 5 and 23 minutes to travel the distance between Mars and Earth ”, depending on the position of both planets.
The robot mission
The Perseverance will search for evidence of past life on Mars and will collect rock samples that will be returned to Earth on a future mission.
It will also test pioneering technologies that will be key to a future human presence on the red planet.
It is NASA’s most ambitious search for life on Mars since the decade of .
“NASA’s most recent focus has been to explore ancient environments, because the data we have suggests that the planet was more habitable during its first billion years,” Ken Williford, one of the mission leaders, told Paul Rincón, BBC science editor.
Perseverance carries scientific instruments that will be able to search for chemical traces of life in Martian rocks. These could include organic compounds, meaning they contain carbon.
You can also look for visual signs of biology, such as fossilized microbial communities.
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