The NASA Perseverance rover isn’t solely exploring Mars for the scientific discoveries it might probably make now — it’s additionally paving the best way for future missions which intend to carry samples again from Mars to Earth for the primary time. This sophisticated plan entails a number of autos together with spacecraft, a lander, and two helicopters, which can work collectively to gather the samples from the Martian floor, take them to orbit, and return them to Earth. But Perseverance is getting the method began by gathering samples, sealing them up in tubes, and leaving these tubes on the floor for future missions to gather.

Now, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have introduced that they’ve chosen the primary samples to be deposited on the floor prepared for assortment. “Never before has a scientifically curated collection of samples from another planet been collected and placed for return to Earth,” mentioned Thomas Zurbuchen, affiliate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, in a assertion. “NASA and ESA have reviewed the proposed site and the Mars samples that will be deployed for this cache as soon as next month. When that first tube is positioned on the surface, it will be a historic moment in space exploration.”

Ten of the 14 samples which Perseverance has collected to this point will probably be deposited in a area of the Jezero Crater referred to as Three Forks. This area was chosen as it’s flat and doesn’t have obstacles like giant boulders which might trigger points for future assortment. The samples chosen for assortment embrace each igneous and sedimentary rocks collected from the rover’s 8-mile journey throughout Jezero.

“Bringing these samples to our labs would allow us to achieve breakthrough science and understand the specific Jezero area,” mentioned Gerhard Kminek, Mars Sample Return lead scientist for ESA, in a assertion. “We could also learn more about the environmental conditions on Mars at a time when life emerged on Earth, and maybe on the Red Planet.”

The Jezero Crater is the location of an historical lake, and scientists consider that it might as soon as have probably hosted life. To be taught extra about whether or not life might actually have thrived on historical Mars, scientists must get samples into Earth-based labs to run extra detailed experiments than these that are attainable on a rover.

Once the rover has dropped off the samples, it’ll proceed exploring and gathering extra samples. “While a significant mission milestone will have taken place once those tubes are dropped, it doesn’t mean Perseverance explorations or sample collection has concluded – not by a long shot,” mentioned Perseverance undertaking scientist Ken Farley of Caltech. “Next, we’ll be headed up to the top of the delta to an area that from satellite imagery appears geologically rich, performing science investigations and collecting more rock cores. Mars Sample Return is going to have a lot of great stuff to choose from.”

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