NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Meet one of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of early August 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover had collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. Considered 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. NASA is teaming with ESA (the European Space Agency) on this important endeavor. Learn more about Sample No. 19—Melyn,” the first sample the rover collected after climbing up onto the ancient delta formation in Mars’ Jezero Crater. The rocks in this area were deposited in an ancient river environment, as opposed to the rover’s earlier samples from the ancient lakebed. Due to a type of mineral called carbonate found in this rock, scientists believe this sample could be well-suited to recording the signatures of past water history on Mars. Read about all the carefully selected samples: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samples Learn more about the Mars Sample Return campaign: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover characterizes the planet's geology and past climate, paves the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Meet one of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of early August 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover had collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. Considered 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. NASA is teaming with ESA (the European Space Agency) on this important endeavor. Learn more about Sample No. 19—Melyn,” the first sample the rover collected after climbing up onto the ancient delta formation in Mars’ Jezero Crater. The rocks in this area were deposited in an ancient river environment, as opposed to the rover’s earlier samples from the ancient lakebed. Due to a type of mineral called carbonate found in this rock, scientists believe this sample could be well-suited to recording the signatures of past water history on Mars. Read about all the carefully selected samples: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samples Learn more about the Mars Sample Return campaign: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover characterizes the planet's geology and past climate, paves the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Meet one of the Martian samples that have been collected and are awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of early August 2023, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover had collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. The next stage is to get them back for study. Considered 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. NASA is teaming with ESA (the European Space Agency) on this important endeavor. Learn more about Sample No. 19—Melyn,” the first sample the rover collected after climbing up onto the ancient delta formation in Mars’ Jezero Crater. The rocks in this area were deposited in an ancient river environment, as opposed to the rover’s earlier samples from the ancient lakebed. Due to a type of mineral called carbonate found in this rock, scientists believe this sample could be well-suited to recording the signatures of past water history on Mars. Read about all the carefully selected samples: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samples Learn more about the Mars Sample Return campaign: https://mars.nasa.gov/msr A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover characterizes the planet's geology and past climate, paves the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and is the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A new Earth science mission, led by NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), will help communities plan for a better future by surveying the planet’s salt and freshwater bodies. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission will measure the height of water in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and the oceans. As climate change accelerates the water cycle, more communities around the world will be inundated with water, while others won’t have enough. SWOT data will be used to improve flood forecasts and monitor drought conditions, providing essential information to water management agencies, civil engineers, universities, the U.S. Department of Defense, disaster preparedness agencies, and others who need to track water in their local areas. In this video, examples of how SWOT data will be used in these communities are shared by a National Weather Service representative in Oregon, an Alaska Department of Transportation engineer, researchers from the University of Oregon and the University of North Carolina, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist working with the Department of Defense, and a JPL scientist working with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Agency. :30: Flood Watches and Warnings: Portland, Oregon 1:08: Water Management at Fern Ridge Lake, Oregon 2:05: Protecting Infrastructure in Alaska 2:54: National Security, Department of Defense 3:24: Coastal Protection in the Mississippi River Delta SWOT is expected to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in December 2022. The mission is a collaboration between NASA and CNES, with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency and the UK Space Agency. JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, leads the U.S. component of the project. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/CNES/Thales Alenia Space