During the solar conjunction period, the project’s science and engineering teams have had time to digest the data from Perseverance collected since the rover landed in Jezero crater.

While taking a step back from the normal routines of operating the rover and its fine set of instruments, we had the chance to reflect on what the rover and its team has accomplished.

Early in the mission, the team devotes much time and effort planning first time activities: the first drive, first use of science instruments, and first sample to name a few.

Now, it is part of the mission’s normal routine for the rover to collect rock samples and perform proximity science using the instruments mounted on the turret that sits at the end of the robotic arm/manipulator.

The robotic arm and turret constitute a highly stable and reliable platform that must support all percussion and abrasion tools while simultaneously supporting the two proximity instruments, PIXL and SHERLOC.

From this platform the PIXL instrument conducts its scientific Xray Fluorescence observations.

For PIXL to achieve this, it constantly checks and self-adjusts the distance between the instrument and the targeted rock to maintain optimal focus of the Xray beam.

This operation is much like threading a needle – requiring great precision and is performed relentlessly a few thousand times for each scan.Written by David Pedersen, Co-Investigator, PIXL Instrument at Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

October 20, 2021

October 20, 2021

October 20, 2021