NASA's Perseverance rover deposits first sample tube
Sample tube
Image Credit: NASA
News from Dec 22, 2022
NASA's rover Perseverance completed 654 sols on the martian surface. On Dec. 21 the rover deposited the first titanium sample tube. In total Perseverance will deposit 10 samples which could be considered for a journey to Earth. Watch this animation featuring key moments of the Mars Sampe Return campaign. The mission team selected different rock targets for taking samples. The first depot was collected early 2022 from a region of Mars' Jezero Crater called "South Séítah". It's a chalk-size core of igneous rock named "Malay" which had to be dropped carefully 89 cm to the martian surface.
More information on NASA's official website