NASA's Perseverance rover grabs 11th rock sample on Mars

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has successfully collected the 11th rock sample in the Red Planet's Jezero Crater, the mission team tweeted on Monday. The rover landed at Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, and has collected nearly a dozen scientifically compelling rock core samples and one atmospheric sample.

These samples of rock and soil collected from the Martian surface will be returned to Earth for deep analysis as part of the Mars Sample Return Program - a strategic partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), which would involve multiple spacecraft and helicopters.

The Perseverance rover will be the primary means of transporting samples to NASA's Sample Retrieval Lander, which will carry the Mars Ascent Vehicle and ESA's Sample Transfer Arm. The Sample Retrieval Lander will include two sample recovery helicopters, based on the design of the agency's Ingenuity Mars helicopter.

Exciting news: Not only did I recently grab a new rock core (#11), but plans are coming together to bring these samples back to Earth. A new group of robots (including next-gen helicopters!) could join me for an unprecedented team-up.More: https://t.co/Q3K8JPnQvS #SamplingMars pic.twitter.com/rL4evMZp3U

— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) August 2, 2022

ESA's Earth Return Orbiter and NASA-provided Sample Retrieval Lander are planned to launch in fall 2027 and summer 2028, respectively, and the Mars samples are expected to arrive on Earth in 2033.