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The search for life on Mars.
Fornaro T.
The past and current exploration missions of the planet Mars have by now ascertained its past habitability, $i.e.$, Mars possessed the geochemical complexity necessary to sustain life. The most compelling question to address next is: has life ever emerged or thrived in such habitable environments on Mars? To answer this question, the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is currently operating at the Jezero crater on Mars, analyzing and collecting astrobiologically relevant rocks for future return to Earth. The main criterion to assess the astrobiological relevance of a Martian sample is the presence of minerals characterized by high biosignature preservation potential and organic matter. In this contribution, the most recent results from Perseverance will be reviewed and the plans for the future ESA ExoMars mission and NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return campaign will be presented.