NASA Perseverance rover collects Singita sample from Mars rock
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover collected a new rock sample named “Singita,” its first sample in more than a year, according to a NASA Science article published Nov. 9, 2026.
The sample was acquired after the rover drilled into a light-toned rock on Oct. 24, 2026 (Sol 2018), at a local mean solar time of 12:56:57. The image of the rock sample inside the rover’s coring bit was taken using the rover’s left Mastcam-Z camera.
The effort followed an earlier abrasion named “Pumbe,” which the rover made on Oct. 17, 2026 (Sol 2011), at a local mean solar time of 16:14:35. That abrasion patch is about 5 centimeters (2 inches) across. The image of the abrasion patch was taken using the SHERLOC WATSON camera, located on the turret at the end of the rover’s robotic arm.
The team chose the new target after an earlier abrasion, “Badger Peak,” proved too hard to core. Perseverance traveled about 100 meters (330 feet) to a different patch of light-toned rocks. Visual and chemical data from the light-toned rocks in the new workspace revealed a composition similar to that of “Badger Peak.”
To improve the odds of collecting a sample, the team chose a neighboring rock with a flatter surface better oriented for the drill stabilizers to press against, and used a coring bit with less wear. The drill made it about 3.1 centimeters (1.2 inches) into the rock.
Singita is a gabbro, an igneous rock made mostly of calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene crystals. Textures in the rock suggest that it likely formed deep in the crust and was modified and excavated by at least one, and possibly multiple, large impact events.
Perseverance has now completed its 66th successful abrasion and collected an intriguing new sample alongside it. The latest mission status report opens with “Perseverance remains healthy and stable on Mars” and lists “Spacecraft Status: Nominal.”
The article was written by Tasha Coelho, Mastcam-Z Student Collaborator at Arizona State University, and dated Nov. 1, 2026.
Sources
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