POTSDAM â A Clarkson University professor has been quite involved with Mars rover which will hunt for signs of ancient life, collect samples for its return to Earth, among other tasks.
Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Professor Suresh Dhaniyala chaired two JPL and NASA committees to review contamination control measures used in the Mars 2020 program, which launched on July 30. He was on the committee as an expert in aerosol physics and the resuspension of microbial agents from surfaces.
âThe Mars 2020 program is dedicated to obtaining the purest Mars samples possible for investigating different aspects of Martian geology, particularly evidence of extant life (i.e. life that might have been on Mars at one time). The success of this program necessitates that the Martian lander and probe be completely free of terrestrial microbes as we donât want to contaminate the surface of Mars and then capture the contaminants and bring it back and conclude that the life on M
Clarkson professor has connection to today s Mars mission northcountrynow.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from northcountrynow.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
NASA s Perseverance rover will collect the most important rocks scientists have ever handled, with one researcher involved in the hunt for evidence of life on Mars, saying these will be the rarest rock since those returned by the Apollo Moon landings 50 years ago.
Life on Mars: Jezero Crater is believed to have once been filled with water (Image: NASA)
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Professor Caroline Smith of the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, believes Perseverance is the perfect mission to explore Jezero - or rather what lurks beneath - for evidence of fossilised ancient life.
In particular, Professor Smith told Express.co.uk the rover s instruments and cameras provide the right tools to study the textures and features of Martian rock the rover will encounter.
Perhaps even more importantly, the rover s SuperCam tool will use lasers and spectrometers to look for chemical biosignatures indicative of past life.