The 21st rock core captured by NASA’s Perseverance has a composition that would make it good at trapping and preserving signs of microbial life, if any was once present. The sample – shown being taken here – was cored from “Bunsen Peak” on March 11, the 1,088th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
The presence of these specific minerals is considered promising for preserving a rich record of an ancient habitable environment on Mars. Such collections of minerals are important for guiding scientists to the most valuable samples for eventual return to Earth with the Mars Sample Return campaign. “The silica and parts of the carbonate appear microcrystalline, which makes them extremely good at trapping and preserving signs of microbial life that might have once lived in this environment,” said Sandra Siljeström, a Perseverance scientist from the Research Institutes of Sweden in Stockholm. “That makes this sample great for biosignature studies if returned to Earth.