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This photomontage shows each of the sample tubes deposited by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover at the "Three Forks" sample depot, as viewed b...
WATSON's Photomontage of Mars Sample DepotWATSON's Photomontage of Mars Sample Depot
February 14, 2023
This photomontage shows each of the sample tubes deposited by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover at the "Three Forks" sample depot, as viewed by the WATSON camera on the end of the rover's robotic arm.
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NASA’s Perseverance rover captured this portrait of its recently completed sample depot using its Mastcam-Z camera on Jan. 31, 2023, the 693r...
Perseverance's Portrait of the Sample DepotPerseverance's Portrait of the Sample Depot
February 14, 2023
NASA’s Perseverance rover captured this portrait of its recently completed sample depot using its Mastcam-Z camera on Jan. 31, 2023, the 693rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Containing 10 samples, the depot is a crucial milestone in th...
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This map shows where NASA's Perseverance Mars rover dropped each of its 10 samples - one half of every pair taken so far - so that a future mission...
Perseverance's 'Three Forks' Sample Depot MapPerseverance's 'Three Forks' Sample Depot Map
January 30, 2023
This map shows where NASA's Perseverance Mars rover dropped each of its 10 samples - one half of every pair taken so far - so that a future mission could pick them up. After five weeks of work, the sample depot was completed Jan. 24, 2023, the 687...
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The Perseverance rover's WATSON camera took this image of the 10th and last tube to be deployed during the creation of the first sample depot on an...
WATSON Documents Final Tube Dropped at 'Three Forks' Sample DepotWATSON Documents Final Tube Dropped at 'Three Forks' Sample Depot
January 30, 2023
The Perseverance rover's WATSON camera took this image of the 10th and last tube to be deployed during the creation of the first sample depot on another world, on Jan. 28, 2023, the 690th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
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NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited the first of several sample tubes onto the Martian surface on Dec. 21, 2022, the 653rd Martian day, or so...
WATSON Documents First Sample on the Martian SurfaceWATSON Documents First Sample on the Martian Surface
December 21, 2022
NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited the first of several sample tubes onto the Martian surface on Dec. 21, 2022, the 653rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. This composite image of the tube, filled with a sample of igneous rock, is made u...
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NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited the first of several samples onto the Martian surface on Dec. 21, 2022, the 653rd Martian day, or sol, of...
Perseverance Deposits Its First Sample on the Martian SurfacePerseverance Deposits Its First Sample on the Martian Surface
December 21, 2022
NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited the first of several samples onto the Martian surface on Dec. 21, 2022, the 653rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
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Engineers react with surprise while testing how NASA’s Perseverance rover will deposit its sample tubes on the Martian surface. Less than 5% ...
OPTIMISM Sticks the LandingOPTIMISM Sticks the Landing
December 21, 2022
Engineers react with surprise while testing how NASA’s Perseverance rover will deposit its sample tubes on the Martian surface. Less than 5% of the time, a flat end on the tube caused it to land straight up after dropping.
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Engineers use OPTIMISM, a full-size replica of NASA’s Perseverance rover, to test how it will deposit its first sample tube on the Martian su...
Testing a Sample Drop in the Mars YardTesting a Sample Drop in the Mars Yard
December 21, 2022
Engineers use OPTIMISM, a full-size replica of NASA’s Perseverance rover, to test how it will deposit its first sample tube on the Martian surface. The test was conducted in the Mars Yard at JPL.
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This illustration depicts three different of models of NASA’s solar-powered Mars helicopter.
NASA's Mars Helicopters: Present, Future, and ProposedNASA's Mars Helicopters: Present, Future, and Proposed
November 14, 2022
This illustration depicts three different of models of NASA’s solar-powered Mars helicopter.
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This illustration depicts the for the Mars Sample Return campaign. The system would contain the orbiting sample inside a disk-shaped vehicle with ...
Mars Earth Entry System Aeroshell at EntryMars Earth Entry System Aeroshell at Entry
October 12, 2022
This illustration depicts the for the Mars Sample Return campaign. The system would contain the orbiting sample inside a disk-shaped vehicle with a heat shield for safe entry through the Earth’s atmosphere.
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This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rock and soil collected from the Martian surf...
Mars Sample Return Concept IllustrationMars Sample Return Concept Illustration
July 27, 2022
This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples of rock and soil collected from the Martian surface by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.
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The Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group gathered for their first meeting, at the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech, and took a grou...
First Meeting of Mars Sample Return Campaign Science GroupFirst Meeting of Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group
July 19, 2022
The Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group gathered for their first meeting, at the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech, and took a group photo.
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The Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group gathered at the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech for an initial meeting on June 28-29, 2022.
Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group Team PhotoMars Sample Return Campaign Science Group Team Photo
July 19, 2022
The Mars Sample Return Campaign Science Group gathered at the Keck Institute for Space Studies at Caltech for an initial meeting on June 28-29, 2022.
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used one of its navigation cameras to take this image of flat terrain to be considered for a Mars Sample Retur...
Perseverance Scouts Landing Sites for Mars Sample Return CampaignPerseverance Scouts Landing Sites for Mars Sample Return Campaign
July 11, 2022
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used one of its navigation cameras to take this image of flat terrain to be considered for a Mars Sample Return lander that would serve as part of the campaign to bring samples of Mars rock and sediment to Eart...
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used one of its navigation cameras to take this panorama of a proposed landing site for the Mars Sample Return...
Perseverance's Panorama of Potential Mars Sample Return Landing SitePerseverance's Panorama of Potential Mars Sample Return Landing Site
July 11, 2022
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used one of its navigation cameras to take this panorama of a proposed landing site for the Mars Sample Return lander that would serve as part of the campaign to bring samples of Mars rock and sediment to Earth...
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This illustration shows a concept for a proposed NASA Sample Retrieval Lander that would carry a small rocket (about 10 feet, or 3 meters, tall) ca...
Mars Sample Retrieval Lander Concept IllustrationMars Sample Retrieval Lander Concept Illustration
April 21, 2022
This illustration shows a concept for a proposed NASA Sample Retrieval Lander that would carry a small rocket (about 10 feet, or 3 meters, tall) called the Mars Ascent Vehicle to the Martian surface.
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This illustration shows a concept for a proposed NASA Mars lander-and-rocket combination that would play a key role in returning to Earth samples o...
Mars Sample Retrieval Lander-Mars Ascent Vehicle Launch IllustrationMars Sample Retrieval Lander-Mars Ascent Vehicle Launch Illustration
April 21, 2022
This illustration shows a concept for a proposed NASA Mars lander-and-rocket combination that would play a key role in returning to Earth samples of Mars material collected by the Perseverance rover.
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This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples collected from the Mars surface by NASA's Mars P...
Mars Sample Return Concept IllustrationMars Sample Return Concept Illustration
April 21, 2022
This illustration shows a concept for multiple robots that would team up to ferry to Earth samples collected from the Mars surface by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover.
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This illustration shows NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), which will carry tubes containing Martian rock and soil samples into orbit around M...
Mars Samples in Orbit (Illustration)Mars Samples in Orbit (Illustration)
March 08, 2022
This illustration shows NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), which will carry tubes containing Martian rock and soil samples into orbit around Mars, where ESA’s Earth Return Orbiter spacecraft will enclose them in a highly secure containm...
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Angie Jackman, Mars Ascent Vehicle project manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, holds an example of one of ...
Project Manager for NASA's Mars Ascent VehicleProject Manager for NASA's Mars Ascent Vehicle
March 08, 2022
Angie Jackman, Mars Ascent Vehicle project manager at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, holds an example of one of the sample tubes the agency’s Perseverance rover will fill with Martian rock and regolith, to ...
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This illustration shows NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) in powered flight.
Mars Ascent Vehicle (Illustration)Mars Ascent Vehicle (Illustration)
March 08, 2022
This illustration shows NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) in powered flight.
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This annotated map shows the locations where NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover collected its and filled its first six samples.
Mapping Perseverance's First Six SamplesMapping Perseverance's First Six Samples
December 28, 2021
This annotated map shows the locations where NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover collected its and filled its first six samples.
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Six facsimile sample tubes hang on the sample tube board in this image taken in the offices of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover.
Perseverance Sample Tubes: Six Mars Samples and CountingPerseverance Sample Tubes: Six Mars Samples and Counting
December 15, 2021
Six facsimile sample tubes hang on the sample tube board in this image taken in the offices of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover.
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Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory dropped this prototype to learn how a future Sample Return Lander could safely touch down on Ma...
Testing a Lander TouchdownTesting a Lander Touchdown
December 13, 2021
Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory dropped this prototype to learn how a future Sample Return Lander could safely touch down on Mars.
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A mock rocket is thrown into the air at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory during tests of a launch system that would fire a rocket off of Mars.
Tossing a Mock RocketTossing a Mock Rocket
December 13, 2021
A mock rocket is thrown into the air at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory during tests of a launch system that would fire a rocket off of Mars.
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The Perseverance rover successfully collected its first Martian core samples that NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency) plan to return to Earth ...
NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Collects First Core Samples & Early ...NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Collects First Core Samples & Early ...
September 10, 2021
The Perseverance rover successfully collected its first Martian core samples that NASA and ESA (the European Space Agency) plan to return to Earth for further study.
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These abrasion targets, nicknamed “Guillaumes” (left) and “Bellegarde” (right), are from the first and second rocks drilled...
Side-by-Side Abrasion Patches for Guillaumes and BellegardeSide-by-Side Abrasion Patches for Guillaumes and Bellegarde
September 10, 2021
These abrasion targets, nicknamed “Guillaumes” (left) and “Bellegarde” (right), are from the first and second rocks drilled by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. These images were taken by the rover’s Mastcam-Z cam...
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its WATSON camera took take eight images – combined into this composite image – of a rock abr...
WATSON's View of 'Bellegarde'WATSON's View of 'Bellegarde'
September 10, 2021
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its WATSON camera took take eight images – combined into this composite image – of a rock abraded by a tool on the rover’s robotic arm. The images were taken on Aug. 27, 2021 (the 185th M...
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its PIXL instrument to analyze the “Bellegarde” abrasion target, revealing salt minerals.
PIXL Image of Salts in ‘Bellegarde'PIXL Image of Salts in ‘Bellegarde'
September 10, 2021
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its PIXL instrument to analyze the “Bellegarde” abrasion target, revealing salt minerals.
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its abrasion tool to grind down the rock surface at this target, nicknamed “Bellegarde,” on S...
Abrasion Patch 'Bellegarde'Abrasion Patch 'Bellegarde'
September 10, 2021
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its abrasion tool to grind down the rock surface at this target, nicknamed “Bellegarde,” on Sept. 29, 2021, the 188th Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
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NASA's Perseverance rover took this image of the Martian rock nicknamed "Rochette" on Aug. 27, 2021, shortly after it abraded a circular patch know...
Abrasion Patch on 'Rochette'Abrasion Patch on 'Rochette'
September 10, 2021
NASA's Perseverance rover took this image of the Martian rock nicknamed "Rochette" on Aug. 27, 2021, shortly after it abraded a circular patch known as "Bellegarde."
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This image taken by the Mastcam-Z camera aboard NASA's Perseverance rover on Sept. 4, 2021, confirmed that the rover had retained a rock core in th...
Confirmation of 'Montdenier' Sample in Perseverance's DrillConfirmation of 'Montdenier' Sample in Perseverance's Drill
September 10, 2021
This image taken by the Mastcam-Z camera aboard NASA's Perseverance rover on Sept. 4, 2021, confirmed that the rover had retained a rock core in the sample tube held in the drill at the end of its robotic arm.
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Perseverance Gets to Know 'Rochette' -
This mosaic image (composed of multiple individual images taken by NASA's Perseverance rover) shows a rock outcrop in the area nicknamed "Citadelle...
'Malamaire' View of 'Citadelle' Area'Malamaire' View of 'Citadelle' Area
September 10, 2021
This mosaic image (composed of multiple individual images taken by NASA's Perseverance rover) shows a rock outcrop in the area nicknamed "Citadelle" on the floor of Mars' Jezero Crater.
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Two holes are visible in the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” from which NASA’s Perseverance rover obtained its first core samples. Th...
'Rochette' After Perseverance Sampling'Rochette' After Perseverance Sampling
September 10, 2021
Two holes are visible in the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” from which NASA’s Perseverance rover obtained its first core samples. The rover drilled the hole on the left, called “Montagnac,” on Sept. 7, and the hole on th...
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Perseverance’s first cored sample of Mars rock is sealed inside its titanium container tube in this image taken by rover’s Sampling and...
Sealing in Perseverance's First SampleSealing in Perseverance's First Sample
September 06, 2021
Perseverance’s first cored sample of Mars rock is sealed inside its titanium container tube in this image taken by rover’s Sampling and Caching System Camera (known as CacheCam).
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Perseverance’s first cored-rock sample is visible inside this titanium sample collection tube in this image taken on Sept. 6, 2021.
Perseverance's First Cored Mars Rock in Sample TubePerseverance's First Cored Mars Rock in Sample Tube
September 06, 2021
Perseverance’s first cored-rock sample is visible inside this titanium sample collection tube in this image taken on Sept. 6, 2021.
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Taken Sept. 1 by Mastcam-Z after Perseverance's sample-coring activities, this image shows the rover's drill with no cored rock sample evident in t...
Perseverance's Drill After Cleaning OperationPerseverance's Drill After Cleaning Operation
September 02, 2021
Taken Sept. 1 by Mastcam-Z after Perseverance's sample-coring activities, this image shows the rover's drill with no cored rock sample evident in the sample tube.
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This Sept. 1 image from NASA's Perseverance rover shows a sample tube with its cored-rock contents inside.
Sample Tube in Perseverance's Drill With Rock CoreSample Tube in Perseverance's Drill With Rock Core
September 02, 2021
This Sept. 1 image from NASA's Perseverance rover shows a sample tube with its cored-rock contents inside.
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The drill hole from Perseverance's second sample-collection attempt can be seen, in this composite of two images taken on Sept. 1, by one of the ro...
Perseverance's Navigation Camera Captures Sample BoreholePerseverance's Navigation Camera Captures Sample Borehole
September 02, 2021
The drill hole from Perseverance's second sample-collection attempt can be seen, in this composite of two images taken on Sept. 1, by one of the rover’s navigation cameras.
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A close-up of the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” that the Perseverance science team will examine in order to determine whether to take a r...
Perseverance at ‘Rochette'Perseverance at ‘Rochette'
August 26, 2021
A close-up of the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” that the Perseverance science team will examine in order to determine whether to take a rock core sample from it.
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover will abrade the rock at the center of this image, allowing scientists and engineers to assess whether it would...
Perseverance Team Selects a New Rock to AbradePerseverance Team Selects a New Rock to Abrade
August 26, 2021
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover will abrade the rock at the center of this image, allowing scientists and engineers to assess whether it would hold up to the rover’s more powerful sampling drill.
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This enhanced-color image from the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover shows sample tube inside the coring bit after the Au...
Sample Tube in Perseverance's Coring DrillSample Tube in Perseverance's Coring Drill
August 06, 2021
This enhanced-color image from the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover shows sample tube inside the coring bit after the Aug. 6 coring activity was completed.
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This image taken by NASA's Perseverance rover on Aug. 6, 2021, shows the hole drilled in a Martian rock in preparation for the rover's first attemp...
Perseverance's Drill Hole for First Sample Collection AttemptPerseverance's Drill Hole for First Sample Collection Attempt
August 06, 2021
This image taken by NASA's Perseverance rover on Aug. 6, 2021, shows the hole drilled in a Martian rock in preparation for the rover's first attempt to collect a sample. It was taken by one of the rover's hazard cameras in what the rover's science...
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Anatomy of a Sample Tube Interior -
Anatomy of a Sample Tube -
Mars Sample Return Orbiting Sample Container Concept Model -
As part of a Mars sample return mission, a rocket will carry a container of sample tubes with Martian rock and soil samples into orbit around Mars ...
Mars Ascent Vehicle Deploying Sample Container in Orbit (Artist's C...Mars Ascent Vehicle Deploying Sample Container in Orbit (Artist's C...
February 10, 2020
As part of a Mars sample return mission, a rocket will carry a container of sample tubes with Martian rock and soil samples into orbit around Mars and release it for pick up by another spacecraft.
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This illustration of a Mars sample return mission's lander concept shows a spacecraft after touchdown on the Red Planet.
Mars Sample Return Lander With Solar Panels Deployed (Artist's Conc...Mars Sample Return Lander With Solar Panels Deployed (Artist's Conc...
February 10, 2020
This illustration of a Mars sample return mission's lander concept shows a spacecraft after touchdown on the Red Planet.
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This illustration shows a concept of how the NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle, carrying tubes containing rock and soil samples, could be launched from the ...
Mars Ascent Vehicle Launching with Samples (Artist's Concept)Mars Ascent Vehicle Launching with Samples (Artist's Concept)
February 10, 2020
This illustration shows a concept of how the NASA Mars Ascent Vehicle, carrying tubes containing rock and soil samples, could be launched from the surface of Mars in one step of the Mars sample return mission.
