NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z instrument to view this workspace around the sample collected from a rock nicknamed "Cheyava Falls." A drill hole is visible (far left) where a sample was collected on July 21, 2024. At right is a rock nicknamed "Steamboat Mountain." A circular white abrasion patch can be seen on each rock; these are where the rover used an abrasion tool to clear away the top surface, allowing instruments to study the rocks' composition.

The images that make up this composite were taken by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument on July 23, 2024, the 1217th day, or sol, of the mission.

Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in collaboration with the Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen on the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.

A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).

For more about Perseverance: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/