Perseverance rover scoops new Martian rocks for NASA's Mars Sample Return Program

The Perseverance rover has collected its 12th rock sample on Mars, NASA announced earlier this week. These samples are being collected by the car-sized rover to be transported back to Earth for thorough analysis under the Mars Sample Return Program. Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are jointly working on this programme which begins in the fall of 2027. 

The samples have been collected from different sites at the 45-kilometres-wide Jezero crater which is believed to have housed a massive lake a few billion years ago. Perseverance touched down on this location in February last year as scientists believe that this would be the most likely place to harbour signs of ancient microbial life if it ever existed on Mars. 

According to NASA's data, eight samples collected by the Perseverance rover from September 2021 to March of this year are volcanic whereas four samples gathered between July 7 and last week are sedimentary. The rover carries a total of 43 sample tubes, 38 of which are for Martian rock and dirt, whereas five are called "witness tubes". These tubes are pre-loaded with a variety of witness materials that can capture molecular and particulate contaminants. 

Out of the 43 tubes, 12 now contain rock samples, one contains an atmospheric sample of the red planet and the rest two are witness tubes. 

NASA gears up to bring rock samples from Mars

On July 27, NASA announced that the rock samples from Mars will arrive on Earth in 2033 under the Mars Sample Return Program. As part of it, ESA will first launch an Earth Return Orbiter in the fall of 2027 followed by the launch of the Sample Retrieval Lander in the summer of 2028. Notably, this plan is a refined one and now consists of two new helicopters instead of a lander-rover combination.

The mission also includes the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) and the Sample Transfer Arm built by ESA. Interestingly, this MAV will be the first rocket to launch on another planet when it lifts off with samples collected by Perseverance. Tap here to read more about how the samples will be brought to Earth.