Seeking Signs of Life in Ancient Martian Rocks — Behind the Spacecraft —...

Meet Katie Stack Morgan – After our Perseverance Mars rover lands on the Red Planet in February 2021, it will be caching rock samples for a future mission to collect and return to Earth. For the Mars 2020 mission’s Deputy Project Scientist Katie Stack Morgan, studying rocks is not only important in the search for ancient life, but it’s also a hobby.

 

“Growing up as a kid we used to go on lots of hikes and would visit national parks for summer vacations. So when I found out I had the opportunity to combine geology and a love for the outdoors with exploring rock on other planets, I thought – you know, this is really the perfect type of thing for me to do.”