A rover on Mars that has been hunting for signs of life is preparing for a trek to the rim of a 4 billion year-old crater, where it could uncover mysteries of the planet’s geologic history.
The Perseverance rover, a $2.7 billion Nasa mission, has been studying the floor and river delta of the Jezero crater for the past 30 months, collecting rocks that suggested the site once hosted a lake.
On Monday, its journey towards the crater rim begins at an elevation of 300 metres, a journey that will involve the rover climbing steep slopes of up to 23 degrees.
“Our samples are already an incredibly scientifically compelling collection, but the crater rim promises to provide even more samples that will have significant implications for our understanding of Martian geologic history,” said Eleni Ravanis, one of the crater rim campaign science leads.
“This is because we expect to investigate rocks from the most ancient crust of Mars.
“These rocks formed from a wealth of different processes, and some represent potentially habitable ancient environments that have never been examined up close before.”
The crater rim, which was formed by the powerful impact that created the Jezero crater billions of years ago, holds valuable information about Mars’s past.
Unlike the sedimentary rocks Perseverance studied on the crater floor, which were shaped by ancient water activity, the rim is expected to host materials that were ejected during the impact.
These materials could include rocks from deeper beneath Mars’s crust, offering a chance to study unaltered material that has not been shaped by surface processes like water erosion.
The rover has travelled 29km and collected 22 rocks so far, with more expected to be stored away as the mission continues.
Nasa is working with the European Space Agency to bring back the samples, in an ambitious return mission that will be finished by the end of this decade.
Scientists are excited about the rocks collected at the river delta, which are the first sedimentary rocks to be discovered on a planet other than Earth.
These rocks are formed by minerals and organic particles often found in water-rich environments.
Finding them on Mars suggests the planet used to have water, meaning the conditions could have existed to support microbial life.
“Among these rock cores are likely the oldest materials sampled from any known environment that was potentially habitable,” said Tanja Bosak, a geobiologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US and a member of Perseverance’s science team.
“When we bring them back to Earth, they can tell us so much about when, why and for how long Mars contained liquid water and whether some organic, prebiotic and potentially even biological evolution may have taken place on that planet.”
The rover arrived on the planet in 2021 as part of the most expensive mission ever developed, which also included the Ingenuity helicopter.
Ingenuity made history as the first aircraft to achieve powered flight on another planet, and completed more than 70 successful flights.
Initially designed for just five flights, it exceeded expectations and continued to operate until its final flight on January 18 this year, when one of its rotor blades was damaged.
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
Top goalscorers in Europe
34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)
34 - Ciro Immobile (68)
31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)
28 - Timo Werner (56)
25 - Lionel Messi (50)
*29 - Erling Haaland (50)
23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)
23 - Jamie Vardy (46)
*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RESULT
Liverpool 4 Southampton 0
Jota (2', 32')
Thiago (37')
Van Dijk (52')
Man of the match: Diogo Jota (Liverpool)
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
