While the organization works on the following steps to transport them safely back to Earth, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is filling sample containers with rocky material on the Red Planet.
The Perseverance rover's sample collection would be sent to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return effort for in-depth analysis.
An worldwide interplanetary relay team, including the European Space Agency (ESA), is involved in the endeavour.
These materials may provide insight into a crucial query: was there ever life on Mars?
In order to assure the secure return of the sample tubes, the work being done at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is described by Aaron Yazzie, a member of the Mars Sample Return effort.
Visit mars.nasa.gov/msr for additional details on the Mars Sample Return mission.
NASA/JPL-Caltech credit