Pristine refers to how fresh of a surface it is, essentially.Īnd so some of the other rocks that we collected have evidence for interaction with groundwater. This particular outcrop was interesting because we think it was slightly less altered and represents likely the most pristine of the igneous rocks that we've collected. 9 is “Atsá.” This was a sample pair collected near our Octavia E. SCIENCE OPERATIONS - MARS PERSEVERANCE ROVER The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, as well as be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Learn more about the Mars Sample Return campaign: Ī key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. Read about all the carefully selected samples: 8 and 9 potentially represent a unique chapter in the history of Jezero Crater and were the last samples the rover collected on the crater floor before moving on to explore the nearby ancient river delta. Perseverance found igneous rocks, which form as lava or magma solidifies, throughout the crater floor. These rock cores were drilled from a boulder that is among the more pristine igneous rocks the rover has sampled. 8 and 9 – “Ha'ahóni” and “Atsá,” two rock samples collected by Perseverance near its original landing site in Jezero Crater. NASA is teaming with ESA (European Space Agency) on this important endeavor. The next stage is to get them back for study.Ĭonsidered one of the highest priorities by the scientists in the Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032, Mars Sample Return would be the first mission to return samples from another planet and provides the best opportunity to reveal the early evolution of Mars, including the potential for ancient life.
As of late June 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. Meet two of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign.
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