UASpace

Meet one of the Martian samples that has been collected and is awaiting return to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign. As of early August 2023, NASA's Mars Perseverance rover has collected and sealed 20 scientifically selected samples inside pristine tubes. Learn 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 record the signatures of past water history on Mars. Credit : NASA/JPL-Caltech