NASA’s Perseverance rover has embarked on a challenging new mission on Mars, beginning its ascent to the rim of Jezero Crater after spending 3 1/2 years exploring its floor.
The six-wheeled Perseverance rover, which has been operating on Mars since 2021, initiated its ascent on Tuesday, with the objective of reaching the summit of a 1,000-foot (305-meter) crater.
During its exploration of the crater’s floor, an area formerly submerged in water, the rover has collected 22 rock core samples.
These samples have the potential to provide crucial insights into Mars’ ancient climate and possibly reveal evidence of past life on the planet. Currently, NASA is exploring methods to transport these samples back to Earth, as reported by AP.
Steven Lee of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California noted that the bedrock at the crater’s rim could offer insights into the formation of rocky planets like Mars and Earth.
However, the journey is expected to be arduous, with the rover facing rocky terrain and slopes as steep as 23 degrees over the coming months.
“Perseverance has demonstrated remarkable resilience,” Lee observed, noting the rover’s impressive endurance as it has traversed approximately 29 kilometers throughout its mission, according to a report by the Associated Press.
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The rock formations at the top of the crater may have originated from ancient hydrothermal vents, where heated water and dissolved minerals once emerged after circulating beneath the planet’s surface.
On Earth, similar environments, such as those found in Yellowstone National Park, are considered potential cradles of life.
(With AP inputs)
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