NASA's Perseverance Mars rover collects 12th rock sample on the Red Planet: Watch video

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has collected a dozen rock core samples on the Red Planet. The latest or the 12th rock sample was collected by the rover on Sol 516 (August 3, 2022).

Launched on February 18, 2021, Perseverance's key goal is to look for signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) on the Red Planet for a possible return to Earth.

All the samples of rock and soil collected from the Martian surface by the rover are planned to be returned to Earth in 2033 as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign - a strategic partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Bringing Mars samples to Earth would allow scientists to examine the specimens using sophisticated instruments around the world too large and too complex to send to Mars and look for signs of past microscopic life on the Red Planet.

Video Credit: Twitter (@NASAPersevere)

The agencies recently presented a refined concept for the Mars Sample Return campaign, which now includes two sample recovery helicopters, based on the design of NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter.

NASA's Perseverance will be the primary means of transporting samples to the agency's Sample Retrieval Lander carrying the Mars Ascent Vehicle and ESA's Sample Transfer Arm. The Sample Retrieval Lander will include two sample recovery helicopters, which will provide a secondary capability to retrieve samples cached on the surface of Mars.

ESA's Earth Return Orbiter and NASA's Capture, Containment, and Return System will remain vital elements of the program.