Space travel: The Mars rover shoots light for the first time – sending more sound recordings

Space travel
The Mars rover is emitting light rays for the first time – and sending sound recordings

Mars Rover “diligently” tried its laser for the first time, and sent audio recordings from it.

NASA researchers have announced that a so-called “super game”, a scientific instrument that can robotically explore rocks on Mars, has sent the first data to Earth. This shows that the approximate 5.6 kg device attached to the top of the rover mast is in very good condition.

The instrument sent several sound recordings, among other things, that could be heard by firing its laser 30 times at a stone three meters away. These are the first recordings of this kind from Mars. It stated that from the size differences of the various laser shots, conclusions could be drawn about the structure and hardness of the rock.

After 203 days of flight with dangerous maneuvering on a dry lake on Mars, on February 18 touched the “diligence” of a small car weighing 1,000 kilograms. Over the next two years, the rover will explore the lake with a diameter of about 45 km. The robot is currently checking the status of its devices – it has already successfully completed its first test drive.

The development and construction of the nearly $ 2.5 billion (approximately 2 2.2 billion) vehicle took eight years. It should look for traces of previous microbial life on Mars and also study the planet’s climate and geography.

dpa