NASA’s Perseverance rover is about to embark on its most challenging mission yet – a steep ascent up the western rim of Jezero Crater on Mars. The climb, scheduled to start around August 19, will take the rover through some of the steepest terrain it has encountered since landing in February 2021.
Perseverance has already completed four science campaigns, collecting 22 rock cores and traveling over 28 kilometers. Project manager Art Thompson from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory expressed excitement about the upcoming Crater Rim Campaign, noting that the rover is in excellent condition.
The science team is particularly interested in two regions at the top of the crater: “Pico Turquino” and “Witch Hazel Hill.” Pico Turquino may hold clues to ancient fractures possibly caused by hydrothermal activity, while Witch Hazel Hill features layered materials suggesting a different climate in Mars’ past.
During its mission, Perseverance has collected sedimentary rock samples, the first ever from a planet other than Earth. Sedimentary rocks are crucial for understanding past water activity, a key factor for life.
Once at the top of the crater rim, Perseverance will continue to explore Mars’ geology and past climate, aiding future human exploration and collecting samples that may contain signs of ancient microbial life. The mission’s discoveries so far have been scientifically compelling, and the Crater Rim Campaign promises to yield even more insights into Mars’ geological history.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/science/story/perseverance-rover-to-begin-steepest-most-challenging-trek-on-mars-2582670-2024-08-15