Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (NASDAQ:RKLB) shares are trading higher premarket on Monday. The company disclosed that NASA has selected the company to conduct a study on retrieving rock samples from the Martian surface and returning them to Earth.

In response to NASA's plea for help bringing the cost and complexity of its Mars sample-return program, Rocket Lab has won a contract to study a potential solution.

NASA's Rapid Mission Design Studies for Mars Sample Return solicits industry proposals to carry out rapid studies of mission designs and mission elements capable of delivering samples collected by the Mars Perseverance rover from the surface of Mars to Earth.