Mars Sample Return is a joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency to collect samples of rock, soil, and atmospheric gases from Mars and bring them to Earth. Right now, NASA’s Perseverance rover is collecting samples in Jezero Crater, where a river once spilled into an ancient lake. Getting the samples back to Earth will require two additional missions. A Mars lander will collect the samples and launch them into orbit, where another spacecraft will collect them and ship them back to