The Perseverance rover has made a groundbreaking discovery on Mars, uncovering a treasure trove of rocky outcrops at the rim of Jezero Crater. The mission’s scientists are abuzz with excitement as they analyze samples from three rocks, including one that may be over 3.9 billion years old.
Since January, the rover has been exploring the crater’s western wall, collecting and analyzing an astonishing 83 rocks using a laser instrument. This is the fastest science-collection tempo since the rover landed on Mars in 2020. The diversity of rocks found at the rim has exceeded expectations, with scientists finding fragments of once-molten rock knocked out by meteor impacts billions of years ago.
One of the most intriguing discoveries was made at “Witch Hazel Hill,” a roughly 445-foot-tall slope that has yielded over a dozen unique and scientifically significant rocks. The team’s project scientist, Katie Stack Morgan, described the finds as “new and intriguing” and praised the rover’s ability to uncover hidden gems.
Perseverance collected its first crater-rim rock sample, named “Silver Mountain,” on January 28. The rock is thought to have formed at least 3.9 billion years ago during Mars’ earliest geologic period. More recently, the rover analyzed a rock called “Tablelands” that contains serpentine minerals, which can provide clues about Martian history and potential for past or present habitability.
Sealing samples has proven an engineering challenge, but scientists have developed innovative solutions to ensure the integrity of their findings. The rover’s sample handling arm is equipped with a special tool that uses a flick maneuver to clean the tube’s top opening before sealing it.
With its findings, Perseverance has provided valuable insights into Mars’ geology and past climate, paving the way for future human exploration. The mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which aims to send spacecraft to Mars to collect samples and return them to Earth for analysis.
Source: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-studies-trove-of-rocks-on-crater-rim