31/01/2023
To be clear, the collection is not the primary cache Nasa wishes to return to Earth; it's more of a "Plan B".
Perseverance retains copies of the Three Forks samples in the caching system inside its belly.
The hope is the rover can directly deliver these rocks - and others yet to be drilled - to the mission that comes to take them home.
But Nasa can't risk the scenario where the rover breaks down with all the rocks stuck inside it.