Perseverance rover samples hint Mars had water for a long time

The Perseverance rover's first rock samples from Mars are already providing insights. NASA researchers' early analysis of the samples indicates water was present in Jezero Crater for a "long time" -- think tens of thousands or millions of years. That, in turn, suggests Mars' water was stable enough to make it relatively welcoming to microscopic life. The mission team also detected crucial salts that might have formed when water flowed through the sampled rock. The salt might have not only trappe...