NASA Engineers Address Dust Cover Issue on Mars Rover

Efforts underway to fix the SHERLOC instrument's stuck dust cover, crucial for the rover's data collection on Mars.

NASA engineers are working to fix a stuck dust cover on the SHERLOC instrument aboard the Perseverance Mars rover, which is hindering data collection.
The issue, discovered on January 6, prevents the use of SHERLOC's laser for spectroscopy but allows for imaging microscopy with the WATSON camera.
Perseverance, part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration, has been on Mars since February 18, 2021, and has provided data on 34 rock targets and 261 hyperspectral maps.
The rover's mission includes searching for signs of past microbial life and preparing for human exploration of Mars.
NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which assisted Perseverance, completed its mission after nearly three years, covering nearly 11 miles in 72 flights.