NASA’s Perseverance rover is embarking on a new challenge on Mars, beginning a climb to the rim of Jezero Crater after spending the past 3.5 years traversing its floor, The New Indian Express reports.
On Tuesday, the six-wheeled rover started its ascent, aiming to reach an elevation of 1,000 feet to collect rock samples that could provide insights into the planet’s climate billions of years ago.
Since landing on Mars in 2021, Perseverance has successfully gathered 22 rock core samples from the crater’s bottom, which was once submerged in water. The analysis of these samples may reveal whether ancient life existed on Mars and help scientists understand the planet’s climate history.
NASA is currently exploring methods to bring these valuable rock samples back to Earth. According to Steven Lee from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, the bedrock at the crater’s rim might offer important clues about the formation of rocky planets like Mars and Earth.
However, the rover’s ascent will not be without difficulties. Perseverance will need to navigate rocky terrain and slopes of up to 23 degrees over the course of its months-long journey.
“Perseverance has certainly been a real trooper,” remarked Lee, noting that the rover has already logged around 18 miles during its exploration.
The rocks located at the top of the crater are believed to have originated from past hydrothermal vents, where heated water and dissolved minerals emerged from beneath the planet’s surface. In similar environments on Earth, such as Yellowstone National Park, these sites are known to create conditions conducive to the development of life.
