NASA’s Perseverance rover has ventured into a new region on Mars, located within the 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater. The mission aims to search for past signs of life and collect samples that can be returned to Earth for further study.
The rover has covered significant ground in its four-year journey, reaching a plateau called Krokodillen, named after a Norwegian mountain ridge. This area marks the boundary between ancient rocks on Jezero’s rim and the plains beyond. Previous findings suggest that Krokodillen harbors clay minerals, which could indicate liquid water presence.
The Krokodillen rocks are among the oldest on Mars, formed before the Jezero Crater was created during the planet’s earliest geologic period, the Noachian. If Perseverance finds a potential biosignature here, it would likely be from an earlier epoch of Mars evolution than previously discovered.
The rover is collecting samples to confirm the presence of current or past life on Mars. However, confirming life may be challenging due to its limited scientific payload. To overcome this limitation, the team is implementing a new strategy: leaving some tubes unsealed and replacing them with more promising ones if needed.
Perseverance has filled over 30 of its sample tubes so far, but still has seven remaining. The rover’s acting project scientist, Katie Stack Morgan, emphasizes that each filled tube has a unique story to tell and allows for maximum flexibility in the collection process.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/perseverance-rover-rolls-into-crocodile-region-on-mars-to-hunt-for-super-old-rocks