NASA's Mars rover gathers a rock sample that is "unlike anything we’ve encountered previously."

      NASA's Mars Perseverance rover obtained this image of its 26th rock sample, dubbed “Silver Mountain,” utilizing its onboard Sample Caching System Camera, positioned on the rover's underside. This camera focuses directly downward into the sample tube to capture detailed images of the collected material before sealing and storage. NASA/JPL-Caltech

      NASA is expressing enthusiasm about a unique rock that its Perseverance rover has just retrieved from the Martian surface.

      “This sample is a unique treasure,” the agency stated, referring to a rock rich in low-calcium pyroxene (LCP). This makes it one of the most intriguing samples of the mission thus far, as it was gathered from the only location along the planned path where this low-calcium pyroxene was recognized from orbit.

      A post on Perseverance’s X account described the sample — named Silver Mountain by NASA — as “unlike anything we’ve seen before,” noting that it has been sealed in a sample tube for future analysis on Earth.

      Now that I've finished my ascent from Jezero Crater, I'm back to #SamplingMars!

      My 26th sample, called "Silver Mountain," features textures we've not encountered until now. I've secured the rock core in a sample tube for lab analysis on Earth later. pic.twitter.com/YqEPZnDnfR

      — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) January 29, 2025

      NASA referred to this particular sample collection as “a significant milestone in our mission to explore the geological history of Jezero Crater.”

      This also signifies a return to full exploration efforts by Perseverance after it spent the latter part of last year climbing the edge of Jezero Crater, which it has been investigating since its remarkable landing there four years ago.

      The six-wheeled rover required three-and-a-half months to complete the 1,640-foot (500-meter) ascent, taking a few planned breaks to conduct scientific observations as part of its ongoing search for evidence of ancient microbial life on the remote planet.

      NASA is currently evaluating the best approach for its Mars Sample Return mission, which aims to bring back to Earth all material collected by Perseverance during its Mars mission. This is a highly intricate process, involving a spacecraft landing on the planet's surface, collecting the samples, transferring them to an orbiting spacecraft, and then returning them to Earth.

      However, a successful Mars Sample Return Mission will enable scientists to analyze Martian material in laboratory settings, potentially uncovering whether the red planet ever supported life, as well as providing greater insights into its geological history and evolution.

      Not long ago, Trevor transitioned from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)...

      NASA to assist with the launch of Europe’s unfortunate Mars rover

      An artist’s depiction of the Rosalind Franklin rover on Mars. ESA/Mlabspace

      Europe's unfortunate Mars rover, named Rosalind Franklin, has received a boost from a new cooperation agreement with NASA. The European Space Agency (ESA) had previously collaborated with the Russian space agency Roscosmos on the rover project, but that partnership was halted following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, NASA has officially agreed to provide launch services and components of the landing propulsion system for the project, targeting a launch in 2028.

      Relive the spectacular landing of the Mars rover exactly three years ago

      A still from footage of NASA's Perseverance rover's landing on Mars in 2021. NASA/JPL

      It’s been exactly three years since NASA’s Perseverance rover made a dramatic landing on Mars.

      NASA’s damaged Ingenuity helicopter spotted in a photo from the Mars rover

      A Martian scene with NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter visible on a dune in the distance. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

      NASA's Perseverance rover has taken a photo (above) showing the current location of the damaged Mars helicopter, Ingenuity.