In the not-too-distant future, a planetary scientist will open up a tube of rocks that came from Mars.
Thanks to the Perseverance rover, there are at least 17 of these rock and regolith samples, just waiting for analysis on Earth. To get them, the rover has covered about 13 kilometers (8 miles) on its Mars geology field trip. The rover has been drilling and scooping since shortly after landing, squirreling away rocks and sand into special tubes for transport. It dropped its first load near a place called "Three Forks" this week. That tube contains bits of igneous rock it found in January of this year. It wasn't just a "drop and run". Mission engineers had to make sure the tube landed safely. So, they did it slowly. First, Perseverance pulled the container out of its belly. Then it looked everything over with a camera before dropping the tube down 90 centimeters onto the surface. Then another image showed mission engineers the sample was safely in position on its side for easy pickup. Eventually, all the containers Perseverance has filled will make their way to labs on Earth. Scientists will analyze them to understand the chemical and mineral properties of the samples. From there, they can construct a more accurate geological and atmospheric history of the Red Planet. "Choosing the first depot on Mars makes this exploration campaign very real and tangible," said David Parker, ESA's director of Human and Robotic Exploration. "Now we have a place to revisit with samples waiting for us there." What will we learn from the Perseverance Mars rock samples? Mars is…