![NASA Astrobiology Logo](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/static/assets/images/global/nasa-astro-logo@2x.47739212d6ef.png)
![NASA Astrobiology Mobile Logo](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/static/assets/images/global/nasa-astro-logo-mobile@2x.c45d61a99d34.png)
![A theoretical instrument that would search for individual microbes on the surface of Mars.](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/uploads/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/c6/f9/c6f9c8b7-25a9-4ea1-924b-0133e131f452/exomars2018_rover_20140321_9k.jpg__310x218_q85_crop_subsampling-2_upscale.jpg)
![The center of the frame is filled by a bright orange/yellow star. Massive solar flares burst out and the surface is covered with darker spots. The dark disk of a transiting exoplanet is seen top left, roughly 1/10 the diameter of the star.](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/uploads/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/f4/3a/f43a0252-eaa3-4208-8d60-723c7680049d/pia20690orig.jpg__310x218_q85_crop_subject_location-2048%2C1151_subsampling-2_upscale.jpg)
![An artist image of an exoplanet that shows potential technosignatures: city lights (glowing circular structures) on the night side and multi-colored clouds on the day side that represent various forms of pollution, and orbiting solar panel arrays (right).](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/uploads/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/ed/ad/edad3456-e337-4fb3-9fa0-55e3abb64f25/exoplanet-no2-v4.jpg__310x218_q85_crop_subject_location-1280%2C1054_subsampling-2_upscale.jpg)
![A three-dimensional map of stars near the Sun on the left side of our screen and a dramatic illustration of a star with a planet orbiting around it on the right side.](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/uploads/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/5a/5a/5a5a3c3d-db87-4ed1-8b1b-62de9844c321/chandra-coming-in-hot.jpg__310x218_q85_crop_subject_location-316%2C177_subsampling-2_upscale.jpg)
![The image shows Earth at center on a blue-tinted starry background. A spectra in light blue resembling the readout of a heartbeat monitor runs along the bottom.](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/uploads/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/7c/d5/7cd591b6-5121-4bfe-b28b-998ab0c47abd/banner-astrobio.jpg__310x218_q85_crop_subject_location-350%2C240_subsampling-2_upscale.jpg)
![Two streaks of grey/green rock run diagonally through the frame from top right to bottom left. One dark piece in toward the top right is labeled Olivine. In the reddish regolith between the two streaks, a seconds spot is labeled Leopard Spot.](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/uploads/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/57/3d/573dcd00-bdec-4629-afa3-f2bfabfe9159/2-pia26368-perseverance-16x9b_1.jpg__310x218_q85_crop_subject_location-768%2C432_subsampling-2_upscale.jpg)
![Illustration of the Perseverance rover arriving on Mars.](/https/astrobiology.nasa.gov/uploads/filer_public_thumbnails/filer_public/48/6e/486efad5-ae26-4244-b351-1dfd3b36aabc/perseverancelanding.jpg__930x580_q85_crop_subject_location-465%2C290_subsampling-2.jpg)
NASA's Mars 2020 mission is the next step in NASA's long-term robotic exploration of Mars. The rover Perseverance will provide important data relevant to astrobiology research, along with a vast amount of geological information about the landing site and the planet at large that will help put the astrobiological data into context.
Perseverance will not be looking for organisms living on Mars today. However, the rover will collect data that could be used to identify biosignatures of ancient microbial life.
What really sets this mission apart is that Perseverance will be collecting a suite of samples to be returned to Earth via a Mars Sample Return mission. The opportunity to bring back samples from another planet will allow our researchers to interrogate them with all of the sophistication and thoroughness that Earth-based instrumentation provides.