WASHINGTON – Nasa's Perseverance bore into the Martian surface, but it failed in its first effort to collect rock samples that would be picked up by future missions and analysed by scientists on Earth.
The US space agency released photos on Friday of a small mound with a hole in the centre close to the rover, which is the first time a robot has delved into the Red Planet.
In a statement, Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's science mission directorate, stated, "While this isn't the 'hole-in-one' we hoped for, there is always risk with breaking new ground."
"I'm certain we've put together the appropriate team to tackle this, and we'll keep working until we find a solution that ensures future success."
The drill hole is the first step in an 11-day sample operation aimed at seeking for traces of ancient microbial life preserved in ancient lakebed sediments.
Scientists also expect to learn more about the geology of Mars.
Perseverance, the size of a large family car, landed in the Jezero Crater on February 18 after taking off from Florida a little over a year ago.
Scientists estimate that 3.5 billion years ago, the crater hosted a deep lake with conditions that could have supported extraterrestrial life.
In the 2030s, NASA hopes to launch a mission to return roughly 30 samples to Earth, where they will be studied by instruments far more advanced than those currently available on Mars.