If all goes to plan, this backup set will stay here while I deliver my primary set (incl. other samples still to come) directly to the lander, as seen below. One way or another, #MarsSampleReturn should get some amazing stuff to send back for closer study.

Some of you are wondering about the samples I’m putting down. Could the Martian wind blow them away, or cover them with sand over time? Here’s why my team’s not worried: (🧵)

Mars does get windy, but not like on Earth. The atmosphere here is much less dense: about 1/100th that of Earth’s. Winds around here can pick up *speed,* but they don’t pick up a lot of *stuff.* Think fast, but not strong.

Martian wind can certainly lift fine dust and leave it on surfaces. (It’s spelled the eventual end of more than one solar-powered explorer.) But for the sample tubes, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

These samples are a backup, set aside in case I’m not able to deliver my main set of samples directly to the next lander. In that case, these would be picked up by one of two Sample Recovery Helicopters (illustrated here), about nine years from now.

How much dust does a Mars spacecraft gather after nine years on the surface? Take a look at @MarsCuriosity’s top deck after nine years: dusty, but hardly unrecognizable.

What about something smaller, sitting low on the surface? See this ribbon cable leading to @NASAInSight’s seismometer? After four years: a thin coat of dust, but easy to spot. (The pile of dirt you see over part of it is only there because InSight purposely put it there.)

Not only do we expect the sample tubes not to be covered up, but I’m also very carefully documenting exactly where I put them down. So going back to them again later shouldn’t be an issue.

Looks like the trailer to a slick interplanetary heist movie! The Martian Job? Or perhaps Reservoir Bots or The Taking of Sample 123?

Not putting all of your mars eggs in one basket is a fantastic idea. Those nasa people are pretty smart.

May God keep me on earth long enough to see this. This is such an epic project

Is the lander really going to land close enough to the rover to photograph it like that? 🤯

The way rover looks todays the sky it feels like its saying finally my mates are here 🥹

This is a sweet animation, more proof that you folks are capable of some engineering miracles. THANK YOU for all you do to advance the knowledge of humanity.

If you bump into any Martians, try to convince one to come back as well.

I CAN NOT wait until these come back to us(Earth), it means we are TRUELY Space explorers, I hope the Universe will welcome us.......

Mark Watney is a steely-eyed missile man