NASA’s Perseverance rover snagged its first Martian rock samples

The rock bits are the first from Mars slated to eventually return to Earth

rocks on Mars with drilled holes from NASA's Perseverance rover

The Perseverance rover drilled two cylinders of stone out of a Martian rock called Rochette in early September. The samples may eventually return to Earth for further study.

JPL-Caltech/NASA

The Perseverance rover has captured its first two slices of Mars.