NASA says Perseverance collected a possible ancient Mars rock sample

NASA published the announcement on Monday 09 November 2026. Perseverance collected the rover's newest sample, Singita, after drilling into a rock that may be among the oldest in its collection. According to the agency, Singita was the rover's first sample in more than a year.

Perseverance found Singita after traveling about 100 meters (330 feet) to a different patch of light-toned rocks. The rover had previously encountered Badger Peak, a rock too hard to core. The team wanted to add a gabbro to the sample collection. A gabbro is an igneous rock made mostly of calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene crystals.

Visual and chemical data showed that the light-toned rocks in the new workspace had a composition similar to Badger Peak. To improve the chances of collecting a sample, the team selected a neighboring rock with a flatter surface. Its orientation gave the drill stabilizers a better surface to press against. The team also used a coring bit with less wear.

The drill made it about 3.1 centimeters (1.2 inches) into the rock. Sample acquisition activities followed, making Singita Perseverance's first sample in more than a year. NASA said the textures in the rock suggest that it likely formed deep in the crust. Large impact events may have modified and excavated it. The agency said at least one, and possibly multiple, large impact events were involved.

Perseverance has now completed its 66 th successful abrasion and collected Singita alongside it. The latest mission status report said Perseverance remained healthy and stable on Mars and listed the spacecraft status as nominal. According to NASA, the rover remains capable of continued exploration.