Before ARCHIVED - NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover seals a sample tube, it snaps a photo of the rock core inside to preserve the record. These high-resolution images highlight the diversity of materials obtained during the rover’s first 3.5 years on the Red Planet.

But this is just the first step. The @NASA-@esa #MarsSampleReturn campaign intends to bring these samples – and more yet to be collected – to labs on Earth, where we can begin to answer questions as varied as the rocks inside each of these tubes. See what makes these samples so intriguing to scientists:

@NASAPersevere Love seeing all the differences in the samples. Really makes me wonder what they each contain!

@ecoscientist22 @NASAPersevere And I'm right there with it. Yup, I was one of the "passengers". Still gives me goosebumps. Thank you for a great trip.

@NASAPersevere I hope you guys will also be on Bluesky!

@NASAPersevere So awesome! 😎

@NASAPersevere Those are nice in 4K macro photos! If anyone likes to see the context scenery around not only in 4K but also in HDR, check out the new free areoHDR app:

@NASAPersevere Silica-carbonate, wow, that’s exciting.

@NASASolarSystem @NASAPersevere This is awesome

@NASAPersevere Have you considered sending the return rocket on the first Mars Starships in 2026? They are going anyway and that way you only have to worry about the return trip, making it cheaper and sooner. #FirstMarsStarships #MarsSampleReturn

@NASAPersevere We all wait for these samples to come back to earth, be tested and outcome revealed 💯☄️