missions that are monitored and controlled from here >> so the drill went into the rock there. >> including the mars perseverance rover, today exploring the red planet, looking for signs of life. jennifer trosper is the mars 2020 project manager. let's start with the exciting news. you have mars rock. >> we got it we got a sample from mars. and now we're carrying it along with us >> missions like this building blocks for the future >> one of our technology demonstrations extracts oxygen from the carbon dioxide atmosphere, and that oxygen can be used for astronauts to breathe or for rockets to take off on mars. >> first nasa has to prove they can return something to earth from millions of miles a way. another probe will be sent to return those core samples, but that will take a decade. >> the sample return is a real critical component to showing we can bring something back from mars therefore, we're on the cusp of sending people and bringing them back.