Overview

• Perseverance’s PIXL and SHERLOC mapped reaction fronts and “leopard‑spot” nodules bearing vivianite, greigite and organic carbon in the Cheyava Falls rock.
• The key core sample, dubbed Sapphire Canyon, was drilled in July 2024 from Bright Angel outcrops at Neretva Vallis in Jezero Crater and remains sealed on Mars.
• Study leaders, including Joel Hurowitz, describe it as the rover’s strongest biosignature candidate so far, while noting that non‑biological processes could also produce the signals.
• NASA emphasizes that confirmation depends on Mars Sample Return, which faces delays and higher cost estimates, with some assessments placing potential Earth arrival near 2040.
• Perseverance has secured nearly 30 scientifically selected samples for eventual retrieval, and the peer‑reviewed work involves an international team with Spanish institutions.