So far, orbital remote sensing observations have produced invaluable information about the existence of minerals related to the presence of water in the past of Mars. We also have several rovers at the surface of Mars that have provided and are currently acquiring more local but precise observations on lithologies and alteration professes. At the same time, we also have more than 350 martian meteorites directly sampling igneous activity at the surface of the Red Planet and that can be precisely measured in clean laboratories. Yet, so many questions remain, such as the presence of ancient and/or present life, or even the fate of the atmosphere or liquid water at the surface.  We will discuss the inevitable pathway that led to the Mars Sample Return program and the current state of the mission as the Mars2020 Perseverance rover.