Nasa’s new rover will study the Mars terrain, above and below the surface, and collect soil and rock samples. Photo: BloombergThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (Nasa) next mission to Mars in 2020 will feature a souped-up unmanned rover vehicle to search for signs of ancient microbial life in areas of the uninhabitable red planet. The new vehicle will study the Mars terrain, above and below the surface, and collect soil and rock samples. “What we learn from the samples collected during this mission has the potential to address whether we’re alone in the universe,” said Ken Farley, a JPL scientist with the Mars 2020 project. Nasa has successfully landed spacecraft on Mars seven times and is using the International Space Station to prepare for human missions to the moon and Mars.

Source: Mint November 29, 2017 13:30 UTC