{"id":2305,"date":"2026-09-16T01:45:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T22:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/?p=2305"},"modified":"2026-09-16T01:47:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T22:47:54","slug":"mars-perseverance-and-curiosity-rover-teams-have-collected-enough-samples-and-are-awaiting-their-return-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/2026\/09\/16\/mars-perseverance-and-curiosity-rover-teams-have-collected-enough-samples-and-are-awaiting-their-return-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Mars&#8217; Perseverance and Curiosity rover teams have collected enough samples and are awaiting their return home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Sulfur crystals, traces of serpentine, pyroxene, and feldspar were discovered. For example, data obtained from the Perseverance rover&#8217;s instruments show that Jezero Plateau is composed almost entirely of serpentine minerals, formed by the reaction of large amounts of water with iron- and magnesium-containing minerals in igneous rocks. A variety of photomosaics were also collected, and atmospheric measurements were taken.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span dir=\"auto\">Curiosity successfully drilled its 44th borehole on Mars in October 2025, marking a major milestone in exploring the enigmatic &#8220;box block&#8221;\u2014an area composed of stable ridges surrounding depressions or &#8220;troughs&#8221; of less stable rock. The drilling took place in the Monte Grande Basin in the Valle de la Luna region.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">The rover&#8217;s mission planning included ensuring the transfer of granular drilling debris from Valle Luna to the SAM (Sample Analysis on Mars) and CheMin (X-ray diffraction) instruments and analysis of the results. The results from these instruments, which will provide mineralogical and other compositional information, will be particularly important for determining the formation mechanism of the box-shaped structures, as chemical studies conducted by the APXS and ChemCam instruments, as well as reflectance spectra collected by ChemCam, revealed subtle but not striking differences between the rocks that make up the ridges and those that make up the basins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">While conducting in-situ studies of the Luna Valley samples, Mastcam collected remote sensing data from a number of target sites, as well as atmospheric remote sensing data. Among Mastcam&#8217;s studies is a photometric study, which is typically only conducted during long-term stationary periods, such as during the current drilling campaign. Photometry is the study of changes in the apparent reflected radiance of rocks and soils depending on illumination geometry (for example, whether the Sun is low or high in the sky). During this photometric campaign, multiple images of the same target regions are acquired at different times of day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4480\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars241125.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars241125.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars241125-300x268.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"685\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">NASA&#8217;s Curiosity rover captured this image of the Valle de la Luna borehole using its Mast Camera (Mastcam) on October 19, 2025\u2014sol 4693, or Martian day 4693, of the Mars Science Laboratory mission\u2014at 02:04:29 UTC. NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/MSSS<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">As part of the ongoing evaluation of the Luna Valle sample, evolved gas analysis (EGA) was performed, where the drilled sample was fired in a SAM furnace. This resulted in the release of volatile molecules, including H\u2082O, CO\u2082, and SO\u2082, which will be used to further characterize the target materials. Mastcam observations included additional images acquired as part of the photometric campaign. Mosaics of the western wall of the Monte Grande Basin were also collected, and several atmospheric measurements were taken.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4481\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1seramars140926.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1196px) 100vw, 1196px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1seramars140926.jpg 1196w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1seramars140926-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1seramars140926-1024x765.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1seramars140926-768x574.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1196\" height=\"894\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">This close-up image shows fragments of sulfur crystals\u2014the first ever discovered on the Red Planet. The crystals were found after NASA&#8217;s Curiosity rover accidentally struck and crushed a rock on May 30, 2024. A few days later, Curiosity used a camera on the end of its robotic arm to take this image. A July 2026 paper in Science suggests that the sulfur formed when fluids or gases erupted from deep magma, depositing sulfur on the Red Planet&#8217;s surface about 3 billion years ago. NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/MSSS<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span dir=\"auto\">In early 2025, the Perseverance rover returned to its starting position several times because the team&#8217;s scientists discovered new types of rocks that may be the oldest ever found on Mars.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Perseverance has begun the Crater Rim campaign, searching for ancient uplifted rocks to better understand the geological processes that occurred early in Mars&#8217;s history and to identify ancient habitable environments. Recent discoveries have not disappointed: so far, every rock outcrop in this part of the rim that the rover has carefully examined with the scientific instruments on its robotic arm has revealed something new. After obtaining a core sample from &#8220;Silver Mountain,&#8221; rich in the mineral pyroxene, Perseverance approached a nearby rock formation containing traces of the mineral serpentine, aptly nicknamed &#8220;Serpentine Lake.&#8221; The rover then used its abrasive tool to clear the rock of dust and coatings for a detailed scientific study. The team was struck by the rock&#8217;s intriguing texture, reminiscent of a &#8220;cookies and cream&#8221; dessert, as well as its very high content of minerals like serpentine, which form in the presence of water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4482\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars12102510.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars12102510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars12102510-300x218.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"559\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover captured this image of the intriguing texture of a rock sample dubbed &#8220;Snake Lake.&#8221; Perseverance acquired the image using the SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on a turret at the end of the rover&#8217;s robotic arm. The SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument uses cameras, spectrometers, and a laser to search for organics and minerals altered by aquatic environments and potentially indicating past microbial life. In addition to the black-and-white context camera, SHERLOC uses the color WATSON (Wide-angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering) camera to capture close-up images of rock grains and surface textures. This image was acquired by Perseverance on February 1, 2025\u2014sol 1405, or Martian day 1405, of the Mars 2020 mission\u2014at 23:41:38 local mean solar time. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">After completing this investigation, the task force decided that Perseverance would return to the site of its first abrasion in this part of the rim, dubbed &#8220;Cat Arm Reservoir,&#8221; to collect a sample. Results from that earlier analysis revealed a rock texture with large pyroxene and feldspar crystals, consistent with a magmatic origin. However, the sample tube was empty. Perseverance had encountered this problem before, during its very first core collection attempt. It&#8217;s uncommon, but sometimes the rocks Perseverance is attempting to collect are so weak that they essentially disintegrate into powder during core collection rather than remaining in the tube. The rover drove to a nearby location and tried again, but when the second core attempt on this rock failed to yield any sample, the team decided to move on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Perseverance has returned to the Serpentine abrasion zone to collect a core of this remarkable rock, which shows evidence of the intense changes caused by water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">The Mars 2020 team carefully analyzed the data obtained from the abrasion site, and these results led to the decision to return to Tablelands and attempt to collect a sample there. Due to the fragmented material that prevented the last sampling attempt at Cat Arm Reservoir, the team eagerly awaited the results of this sampling attempt at Green Gardens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4483\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210257.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210257.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210257-300x225.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover captured this image using the Sample Cache Camera (CacheCam), located on the rover&#8217;s underbody. The camera peers into the top of the sample collection tube to capture close-up images of the sampled material and the tube itself as it prepares for sealing and storage. The material found inside the core is a sample from the Green Gardens core. The image was acquired on February 17, 2025 (Sol 1420, or Martian day 1420, of the Mars 2020 mission) at 7:16:24 PM local solar time. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Then images from CacheCam emerged confirming that Perseverance had collected another sample on Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Tablelands, the rock from which the Green Gardens core was taken, is of great interest to the scientific team because it contains serpentine minerals. These serpentine minerals likely formed billions of years ago when water interacted with rocks before the formation of Jezero Crater. The water transformed the minerals originally present in the rock into serpentine, which is often green. This characteristic green color is why the team chose the name &#8220;Green Gardens&#8221; for this sample. These minerals are particularly interesting because their structure and composition can tell us about the history of water on Mars. The formation of serpentine on Earth can support microbial communities, and the same could be true on Mars. This sample from the rim of Jezero Crater provides an important piece of the puzzle about Jezero&#8217;s aquatic past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Measurements may include a re-examination of the Serpentine Lake abrasion surface and analysis of the spoil heap created by the Green Gardens borehole.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4484\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210258.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210258.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210258-300x226.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"578\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover captured this image of the terrain ahead, showing the Serpentine Lake abrasion site to the right of the rock and the Green Gardens sampling site to the left. The rover used its Front Right Hazard Avoidance Camera A (FRA) to capture the image on February 16, 2025 (Sol 1420, or Martian day 1420, of the Mars 2020 mission) at 4:45:19 PM local mean solar time. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Researchers have discovered that soil samples recovered by Perseverance contain millimeter-sized particles from at least two different regions of the Red Planet, showing signs of past water exposure and possible habitability. While the data appears promising, the team will not be able to confirm any traces of microbial life until the samples are returned to Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">According to scientists, the samples will reveal more than just the history of the Red Planet. &#8220;The samples will help us learn more about Mars, but they may also help us learn more about Earth, since the surface of Mars is typically much older than the surface of Earth,&#8221; said Libby Hausrath, a geochemist at the University of Nevada&#8217;s College of Sciences and a member of NASA&#8217;s Mars Sample Return team, in a university statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4485\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars121025.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars121025.jpg 944w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars121025-300x151.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars121025-768x387.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"476\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">This sealed titanium sample collection tube contains the first sample ever collected by NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. This image was taken by Perseverance&#8217;s Cache and Collection System Camera (CacheCam). NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Robotic explorers have been roaming Mars since the 1960s, gathering information about the planet&#8217;s geology, atmosphere, and history and providing groundbreaking insights through surface sampling and onboard analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">For example, NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover is equipped with a suite of instruments, including cameras, remote sensors, spectrometers, and more, that scientists have used to measure the chemical and mineralogical composition of Martian regolith\u2014the loose, fragmented layer of dust, soil, and rock debris that covers the planet&#8217;s surface.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Scientists&#8217; capabilities are limited, especially when it comes to drawing definitive conclusions from the data. Firstly, the instruments on board Perseverance are limited in weight, size, and power, limiting their capabilities. Returning samples to Earth will allow for much more detailed studies using more advanced laboratory equipment that cannot be carried to Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">&#8220;The Perseverance rover is capable of collecting samples of loose material smaller than 8 mm from the surface to a depth of approximately 4-6 cm, which are then sealed in a tube and either deposited on the Martian surface or stored on the rover, like rock samples, for possible return to Earth as part of the planned Mars Sample Return campaign,&#8221; they write.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Additionally, Perseverance&#8217;s onboard scientific instruments have weight, size, and power limitations, which limit their capabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4486\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210251.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210251.jpg 650w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1210251-300x169.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"366\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">A photo of the &#8220;Silver Mountain&#8221; rock sample collected by NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover while exploring the rim of Jezero Crater. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span dir=\"auto\">Perseverance is overcoming obstacles to scientific exploration. Just a few sols after successfully sealing the complex Green Gardens core, Perseverance headed to the Broom Point work area to collect another sample, called Main River.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Broom Point is located a few hundred meters downhill from the Green Gardens collection site, and the science team decided to explore the area because orbiter images showed intriguing alternating light and dark layers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Images taken by Perseverance at the site confirm that these distinct layers are also visible on the surface. These layers are intriguing because they reflect various geological events that occurred in the planet&#8217;s past, including sediment deposition, lava flows, and volcanic ash. By conducting studies with the rover&#8217;s instruments and collecting core samples to return to Earth for future research, the team is investigating the composition of this material and how it arrived on Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">When a team plans to collect a sample from a rock outcrop, the first step is to abrade the rock, removing the top few millimeters and smoothing the surface so the SHERLOC and PIXL instruments can approach and scan it. Although Perseverance has already abraded more than 30 rocks throughout Jezero Crater, new rocks still present particular challenges. During abrasion of the Slants River target near Broome Point, the rock unexpectedly cracked, creating an uneven surface. SHERLOC and PIXL require only a few millimeters of clearance to safely approach the rock, and although PIXL was able to reach the fractured surface, the terrain looked somewhat more challenging for SHERLOC.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">The team&#8217;s engineers and rover planners assessed the situation and decided to use the SHERLOC companion camera, WATSON, to take several images of the abrasion zone from a different angle. These images allowed them to create a surface model with fine cracks and crevices. With this knowledge, the team found a way to safely relocate the instrument to the same location where PIXL had been scanning and create a spectroscopy map. After completing the abrasion proximity survey, the rover began drilling and sealing the Main River core.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4487\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1310252.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1310252.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars1310252-300x218.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"559\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">Fractured rock detected: NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover captured this image of the Slants River target, which fractured after being abraded by the rover. Perseverance captured the image using the SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on a turret at the end of the rover&#8217;s robotic arm. SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) is an instrument that uses cameras, spectrometers, and a laser to search for organics and minerals altered by aquatic environments and potentially indicating past microbial life. In addition to the black-and-white context camera, SHERLOC uses the color WATSON (Wide-angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and Engineering) camera to capture close-up images of rock grains and surface textures. In the case of the Slants River, thanks to the work of the rover&#8217;s designers and engineers, despite the fault, SHERLOC was able to maneuver near this topographically complex surface and conduct a spectroscopic scan. This crucial operation allowed the team to collect a core sample of the Main River, directly adjacent to this abrasive site. Perseverance acquired this image on March 5, 2025\u2014sol 1436, or Martian day 1436, of the Mars 2020 mission\u2014at 14:29:29 local mean solar time. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span dir=\"auto\">The diversity of rock types along the rim of Jezero Crater provides a rich insight into the history of Mars.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Scientists with NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover are exploring what they consider a veritable Martian cornucopia of intriguing rock outcrops on the rim of Jezero Crater. Studying the rocks, boulders, and outcrops helps scientists understand the planet&#8217;s history, its evolution, and its potential habitability, past and present. The rover collected five rocks from the crater rim, placing samples of three of them in special tubes. It also conducted detailed analysis of seven rocks and studied another 83 remotely using laser beams. This is the fastest rate of scientific data collection by a mission since the rover landed on the Red Planet more than four years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Perseverance climbed the western flank of Jezero Crater for 3.5 months, reaching the rim on December 12, 2024, and explored a slope approximately 135 meters high, which the science team calls &#8220;Hickory Hill.&#8221; The diversity of rocks discovered there exceeded all expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">&#8220;During previous science campaigns at Jezero, finding a rock that&#8217;s significantly different from the last one we sampled and scientifically unique enough to study could have taken months,&#8221; said Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist at NASA&#8217;s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. &#8220;But here, on the crater rim, new and interesting rocks are found everywhere the rover turns. It&#8217;s everything we hoped for and more.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4488\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars241025.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars241025.jpg 768w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars241025-300x218.jpg 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"559\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">Sealing the &#8220;Green Gardens&#8221; sample, collected by NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover on February 16, 2025, on a rock dubbed &#8220;The Plateau&#8221; on the rim of Jezero Crater, presented a complex engineering challenge. The sample was finally sealed on March 2. NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/ASU\/MSSS<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">This is because the western rim of Jezero Crater contains tons of debris from once-molten rock, blasted from the subsurface billions of years ago by one or more meteorite impacts, possibly including the one that formed Jezero Crater. Perseverance finds these formerly buried boulders next to well-preserved layered rocks &#8220;born&#8221; billions of years ago on what will later become the crater rim. And just a short drive away, there&#8217;s a boulder showing signs of water exposure next to a boulder that has seen little water in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Perseverance collected its first crater rim rock sample, dubbed &#8220;Silver Mountain,&#8221; on January 28, 2025. (NASA scientists informally name Martian features, including rocks and, separately, rock samples, to make them easier to track.) The rock it was sampled from, called &#8220;Shallow Bay,&#8221; likely formed at least 3.9 billion years ago during Mars&#8217;s earliest geologic period, the Noachian, and it may have been eroded and recrystallized during an ancient meteorite impact.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">About 360 feet (110 meters) from this sampling site is a rock outcrop that caught the attention of the science team because it contains igneous minerals crystallized from magma deep within the Martian crust. Igneous rocks can form deep underground from magma or from volcanic activity on the surface, and they are excellent data preservers\u2014particularly because the mineral crystals within them preserve information about the precise moment of their formation. But after two drilling attempts failed because the rock was too loose, the rover drove about 520 feet (160 meters) northwest to another scientifically interesting rock formation, dubbed &#8220;The Mesa.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4489\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410251.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410251.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410251-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410251-768x576.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">One of Perseverance&#8217;s hazard cameras captured the rover&#8217;s core drill extracting a rock sample from Main River at Witch Hazel Hill on March 10, 2025, the 1441st Martian day, or sol, of the mission. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Data obtained from the rover&#8217;s instruments show that the plateau is composed almost entirely of serpentine minerals, formed by the reaction of large amounts of water with iron- and magnesium-containing minerals in igneous rocks. This process, called serpentinization, alters the rock&#8217;s original structure and mineralogy, often leading to expansion and cracking. Byproducts of this process sometimes include hydrogen, which, in the presence of carbon dioxide, can lead to the formation of methane. On Earth, such rocks could support microbial communities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">&#8220;This has happened before, when so much debris accumulated at the top of the tube that it prevented a perfect seal,&#8221; said Kyle Kaplan, a robotics engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. &#8220;For Tablelands, we went all out. Over 13 sols (Martian days), we cleared the top of the tube 33 times with a special tool and made eight sealing attempts. We even flipped it over.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">During the tug maneuver, the sample handler\u2014a small robotic arm embedded in the rover&#8217;s body\u2014presses the sample tube against the wall inside the rover and then pulls it back, causing vibration. The combination of tugs and brushing cleaned the top opening of the sample tube enough for Perseverance to seal and preserve the serpentine-rich rock sample.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Eight days later, the rover seamlessly captured a third sample from the rim of a rock called &#8220;Main River.&#8221; The alternating bright and dark bands in the rock were unlike anything the scientific team had seen before.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">After collecting a sample from the Main River, the rover continued its exploration of Wych Hazel Hill, analyzing three more rock formations (Sally&#8217;s Cove, Dennis&#8217;s Pond, and Mount Pearl). And the team isn&#8217;t done yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">The key goal of the Perseverance mission to Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover is studying the planet&#8217;s past geology and climate to pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet. This is the first mission to collect and store Martian rocks and regolith.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4490\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410252.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410252.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410252-300x66.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars2410252-768x168.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"219\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">This mosaic, showing the surface of Mars outside Jezero Crater, was captured by NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover on December 25, 2024, at the site where the rover collected a sample, dubbed &#8220;Silver Mountain,&#8221; of rock likely formed during Mars&#8217;s earliest geological period. NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/ASU\/MSSS<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">The Mars Sample Return program, run by NASA in collaboration with ESA (the European Space Agency), aims to send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA&#8217;s Mars Exploration Program and the agency&#8217;s approach to exploring Mars from the Moon, which includes the Artemis missions to the Moon, which will help prepare humanity for exploration of the Red Planet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong><span dir=\"auto\">To maximize the chances of successfully returning the first Martian rock and sediment samples to Earth for the benefit of humanity, NASA has announced a new approach to its Mars sample return program. The agency will simultaneously consider two landing architecture options, or strategic plans, during the development phase, encouraging competition and innovation, as well as cost and time savings.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">NASA plans to later select a single path for the program, which aims to further understand the mysteries of the universe and help determine whether life ever existed on the Red Planet. NASA is expected to confirm the program and its design in the second half of 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">&#8220;The development of two potential options will allow NASA to return these samples from Mars with significant cost and time savings compared to the previous plan,&#8221; said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. &#8220;These samples have the potential to transform our understanding of Mars, our universe, and, ultimately, ourselves. I would like to thank the NASA team and the Strategic Analysis Group led by Dr. Maria Zuber for their work.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">In September 2024, the agency accepted 11 studies submitted by the NASA community and industry on the best way to return Martian samples to Earth. The Mars Sample Return Strategic Review Group was tasked with evaluating these studies and then recommending a basic campaign architecture, including an estimate of the associated costs and timelines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4491\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars11102519.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars11102519.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars11102519-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars11102519-768x432.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">This photomontage shows vials containing Mars samples collected by NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover. NASA&#8217;s Mars Sample Return program aims to return these samples to Earth for study in advanced laboratories. NASA\/JPL-Caltech\/MSSS<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">&#8220;NASA&#8217;s rovers brave the harsh conditions of Mars to collect groundbreaking scientific samples,&#8221; said Nicky Fox, manager of NASA&#8217;s Science Mission Directorate. &#8220;We want to return them to Earth as soon as possible for study in state-of-the-art facilities. The Mars Sample Return program will allow scientists to understand the planet&#8217;s geologic history and the evolution of climate on this barren planet, where life may have once existed, and will shed light on the early solar system before life arose on Earth. It will also prepare us to safely send the first Mars explorers back to Mars.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">During the project development phase, NASA will continue to study and evaluate two different approaches to landing the platform and payload on Mars. The first approach will utilize proven entry, descent, and landing system designs, specifically the &#8220;sky crane&#8221; method demonstrated by the Curiosity and Perseverance missions. The second approach will leverage new commercial capabilities for delivering the lander&#8217;s payload to the surface of Mars.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">In both possible options, the mission&#8217;s landing platform will be equipped with a scaled-down version of the Mars Ascent Vehicle. The platform&#8217;s solar panels will be replaced with a radioisotope power system capable of providing electricity and heat during the dust storm season on Mars, reducing the system&#8217;s complexity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">The orbital sample container will hold 30 vials of samples collected by the Perseverance lander from the surface of Mars. An upgrade to the lander&#8217;s sample loading system, which will transfer the samples to the orbital container, simplifies the implementation of retrograde planetary protection by preventing dust accumulation on the container&#8217;s exterior.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span dir=\"auto\">Both mission options involve a capture, retention, and return system aboard the European Space Agency&#8217;s (ESA) Earth Return Orbiter, which would capture the sample container in orbit around Mars. ESA is reviewing NASA&#8217;s plan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4492\" src=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars24102524.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars24102524.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars24102524-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/mars24102524-768x432.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"563\" \/><br \/>\n<em><span dir=\"auto\">NASA&#8217;s Perseverance rover took this selfie on September 10, 2021, the 198th Martian day, or so, of its mission. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/go\/46\"  class=\"su-button su-button-style-flat su-button-wide\" style=\"color:#FFFFFF;background-color:#af170f;border-color:#8c130c;border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color:#FFFFFF;padding:7px 22px;font-size:17px;line-height:26px;border-color:#c75d57;border-radius:5px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px;text-shadow:none;-moz-text-shadow:none;-webkit-text-shadow:none\"><i class=\"sui sui-heart\" style=\"font-size:17px;color:#FFFFFF\"><\/i> Comment on Facebook* The owner of the Meta company is recognized as extremist in Russia and is banned.<\/span><\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sulfur crystals, traces of serpentine, pyroxene, and feldspar were discovered. For example, data obtained from the Perseverance rover&#8217;s instruments show that Jezero Plateau is composed almost entirely of serpentine minerals, formed by the reaction of large amounts of water with iron- and magnesium-containing minerals in igneous rocks. A variety of photomosaics were also collected, and atmospheric measurements were taken.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[151,993,542,40],"tags":[958,647,584,731,330],"class_list":{"0":"post-2305","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-geliobiology","8":"category-astrobiology","9":"category-mars","10":"category-kosmos","11":"tag-curiosity","12":"tag-mars-rover","13":"tag-perseverance","14":"tag-sulfur","15":"tag-water"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2305"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2309,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2305\/revisions\/2309"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}