NASA Fails To Search Alien Life In Mars With Rover

Rover shadow which has drilled for Rock

A NASA mission, drove into Mars' surface but failed in its first effort to gather rock samples that would be picked up by future missions and analysed by scientists on Earth. The US space agency released photos on Friday showing a tiny mound with a hole in the middle adjacent to the rover, which is the first time a robot has delved into the Red Planet.

The rover's data relayed to Earth following its initial effort to collect a sample and seal it in a tube, however, showed that no rock had been collected.

In a statement, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's scientific mission directorate, stated, "While this isn't the 'hole-in-one' we hoped for, there is always risk with breaking new ground."

"I'm convinced we've put together the proper team to tackle this, and we'll keep working until we find a solution that ensures future success."

The drill hole is the first phase in an 11-day sample operation aimed at seeking for indications of ancient microbial life preserved in old lakebed sediments. Scientists also aim to learn more about the geology of Mars. Perseverance, the size of a large family vehicle, landed in the Jezero Crater on February 18 after taking out from Florida a little over a year ago. Scientists estimate that 3.5 billion years ago, the crater held a deep lake with conditions that may have supported alien life.

In the 2030s, NASA aims to launch a mission to return approximately 30 samples to Earth, where they will be examined by instruments far more advanced than those now available on Mars.