This pair of August 2021 images made available by NASA shows the drill hole from Perseverance's first sample-collection attempt on Mars. NASA is blaming unusually soft rock for last week's sampling fiasco on Mars. The Perseverance rover came up empty after attempting to collect its first core sample on the red planet for eventual return to Earth. Data beamed back on Friday, Aug. 6, 2021 showed that the rover drilled to the proper depth of nearly 3 inches (8 centimeters), and pictures of the borehole looked good. But it quickly became clear the sample tube was empty. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS via AP)