The NASA Perseverance rover is now on the surface of Mars looking for the best landing strip for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) spacecraft. The European Space Agency has constructed a robotic arm to take tubes of soil samples from the rover.
The Sample Transfer Arm is the moniker given to the 8.2 foot long arm (STA). Its algorithmic skin has been built so that it can “see” and “feel” items. When it is delivered in 2025, the NASA Sample Retrieval Lander will then be able to attach it.
The structure is modelled after a human arm. STA has a wrist, a shoulder, and an elbow. The robot will be able to dodge Martian boulders and gather sample containers thanks to its dual camera system.
NASA and ESA are working together on the Mars Sample Return mission, which aims to study the Martian soil. By 2030, all of the samples should arrive on Earth.
