A photo from open sources
NASA has not yet figured out to the end, where next to the rover took a piece of plastic film so similar to a cockroach as a new mystery has arisen. She is much smaller than the previous one. But makes you think more.
Let me remind you that a “cockroach” appeared on the 61st Martian day (Sol 61 – 7 October 2012 on Earth). Curiosity Robot (Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity) photographed it at own wheels that the moment when he scooped up the local soil with a scoop – he took a sample. Some days no one understood what it is. The picture was clarified made October 11th (Sol 65) with a MAHLI camera
(Mars Hand Lens Imager). It became evident that on the ground lies a piece of plastic is a little more than a centimeter in length. Decided that his brought by the wind from the landing site. And just in case, they rejected the second scoop with soil scooped up by the robot. Scored the third.
A photo from open sources
Traces of raking a shovel – two tracks Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
A photo from open sources
Traces of raking in a dustpan – a third trace appeared Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech
On the 69th Martian day (October 15, 2012), soil was loaded in a special analyzer to study the mineral composition by X-ray diffraction.
While the analyzer is analyzing, NASA experts are still examining one “cockroach” caught in the frame. He is very tiny – a little more than a millimeter. But it stands out from the general background. Gizmo shines brightly like a gold nugget. It’s metal or mineral, not it is known. Experts do not put forward hypotheses. Only suggest that “nugget” is likely local. Lay at shallow depth. AND turned up on the surface because the robot dug it when scooped up scoop for the second time.
A photo from open sources
A shiny contraption (in the center of the picture) appeared where the robot scooped up for the second time Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS
NASA plans to explore shiny gizmo with chemical laser.
Vladimir Lagovsky
Mars NASA Robots
