PASADENA, United States, Oct 31, 2026 - A team led by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory planetary scientist Yang Liu has determined that the meteorite Teghaza 001 formed at least 4.1 billion years ago.

The rock was found in the Sahara in Mali in 2022, and NASA announced that it formed on Mars. Liu called it uniquely valuable for Mars research.

Impact Insight. Meteorites blasted off Mars by impacts are the only pieces of the planet available for laboratory study on Earth. Each one is also a record of how impacts move rock between worlds, the same process planetary defense researchers study.