NASA to Send Million-Year-Old Rock Back To Mars
NASA will be sending a very old piece of Martian rock back home for the sole purpose of blowing it up. This is all part of a larger research mission which will pave the way for human visitation of Mars.
The ancient rock, named "Sayh al Uhaymir 008," or "SaU008," was once part of a larger meteorite that blew off the red planet and landed here on Earth millions of years ago. SaU008 was discovered in Oman in 1999 and one of just 200 known Martian rock samples that are deemed strong enough to survive the journey back to its origins.
"Every year, we provide hundreds of meteorite specimens to scientists all over the world to for study," Caroline Smith, the principal curator of meteorites at London's Natural History Museum – which provided the rock, said in the press release. "This is a first for us: sending one of our samples back home for the benefit of science."
The rock will part of the 2020 Mars rover mission where it will be blown up to test the calibration process for the rover's hyper-sensitive laser measurement device, dubbed "SHERLOC."
SHERLOC was designed to examine rock and chemical features as fine as human hair and needs something to help it get its bearings on the red planet. In the past, NASA used materials such as rocks, metals and pieces of glass to help adjust similar technology.
This time, however, the agency believes it would suit SHERLOC best if the material used had the same composition as the planet it's designed to explore. Once the laser is adjusted it, along with the rover, will photograph rocks on Mars and use a UV light to analyze and search for signs of life.
With the goal of human exploration in mind, it should be worth the sacrifice of one rare Martian rock.
