File photo: The planet Mars showing showing Terra Meridiani is seen in an undated NASA image. A million-years-old rock is flying home. The ancient rock, named "Sayh al Uhaymir 008," or "SaU008," was once part of one of a meteorite that landed on Earth after blowing off from Mars millions of years ago. SaU008 was discovered in Oman in 1999 and is the only one of 200 similar rocks that's strong enough to withstand the journey back home, according to NASA. "Every year, we provide hundreds of meteorite specimens to scientists all over the world to for study," Caroline Smith, the principal curator of meteorites at London's Natural History Museum – which provided the rock, said in the press release. "This is a first for us: sending one of our samples back home for the benefit of science."