NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover, after initial failures, successfully obtained a conglomerate rock sample from Otis Peak in Jezero crater, despite its crumbly nature. The varied clasts in the conglomerate, potentially from distant locations, could offer valuable insights into Martian history. The team now sets their sights on Snowdrift Peak.

As previously described, the NASA Perseverance Science Team has been attempting to obtain a sample of a conglomerate rock unit on top of the fan in Jezero crater. The first attempt yielded a sample that was unfortunately too small, and the second attempt was unsuccessful. Why is this rock so difficult to sample, and why is NASA so intent on obtaining a sample?

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