NASA is planning to deliver the first samples of Martian material to Earth, which could shed light on the question of whether life existed on the Red Planet.
Scientists believe this crater, which was created from a meteorite's impact, was once the site of an ancient lake, probably around 3 to 4 billion years ago. It is thought that the conditions in this lake basin may have been favorable to life.
The rocket will then launch from the surface of Mars—the first ever to do so—with another spacecraft capturing it in the Red Planet's orbit. This spacecraft will then bring the samples back to Earth. One challenge in the design of the Sample Retrieval Lander concept is that the craft would be the largest and heaviest spacecraft to ever touch down on Mars.
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