Perseverance is Putting its Samples Onto the Surface of Mars, So a Future Helicopter can Pick Them Up

At this point in its mission, NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover has collected almost 50% of its samples. The rover is now building its first sample ‘depot’ on the surface of Mars. The depot is a flat, obstacle-free area with 11 separate landing circles, one for each sample tube and one for the lander. A future …