The Perseverance rover’s first rock samples from Mars are already offering insights. NASA researchers’ early analysis of the samples signifies water was current in Jezero Crater for a “long time” — suppose tens of 1000’s or tens of millions of years. That, in flip, suggests Mars’ water was secure sufficient to make it comparatively welcoming to microscopic life.

The mission staff additionally detected essential salts that may have shaped when water flowed by means of the sampled rock. The salt might need not solely trapped pockets of Mars’ previous water, however might have preserved indicators of life.

The two samples thus far come from only one rock. It will take for much longer to develop a greater sense of Mars’ secrets and techniques. Perseverance will not even accumulate samples from its subsequent location, South Séitah, till after a weeks-long break the place all missions on the planet will go right into a “protective” state till the top of a Mars photo voltaic conjuction. The pause ought to take impact for everybody by early October. The samples will not return to Earth till future missions accumulate the samples Perseverance left behind.

Even so, the early knowledge bodes effectively for the Perseverance mission — the staff has already found helpful details about Mars’ historical past. These and different findings couldn’t solely reshape humanity’s understanding of the planet, however set the path for future Mars exploration missions.