What sample depot did Perseverance complete on Mars in January 2023?

What sample depot did Perseverance complete on Mars in January 2023? The answer is the Three Forks Sample Depot.

The depot was created in the Three Forks area of Jezero Crater, near the base of an ancient river delta. Beginning on December 21, 2022, Perseverance placed carefully selected sample tubes on the Martian surface. The rover deposited the tenth and final planned tube on January 28, 2023, completing the depot.

The ten tubes form a backup collection for the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return effort. Perseverance retained matching samples inside the rover, but the surface depot provides another way to access scientifically important rocks if the rover cannot deliver its onboard collection. The tubes were arranged in a mapped zigzag pattern so a future mission could locate them even if dust partly covered them.

This was the first sample depot created on another world. The name “Three Forks” identifies the area, not a separate rock type or mission. “Seitah” is associated with a geological region and sampling campaign on Mars, while “Delta Front” describes a terrain area rather than the completed depot’s official name.