Nomad Rover Field Experiment, Atacama Desert, Chile 2. Identification of paleolife evidence using a robotic vehicle: Lessons and recommendations for a Mars sample return mission

During the Nomad Rover Field Experiment in the Atacama Desert (Chile), a po tential fossil was identified in a boulder by the science team remotely loc ated at NASA Ames Research Center, California. The science team requested t he collecting of the boulder that was returned for laboratory analysis. Thi s analysis confirmed the evidence of paleolife. As the first fossil identif ied and sampled by a remotely located science team using a rover, we use th e case of sample I-250697 to describe the process, both in the field and la ter in the laboratory during the rock analysis, which led to the identifica tion, characterization, and confirmation of the evidence of paleolife evide nce in I-250697. We point out the lessons that this case provides for futur e Mars sample return missions.