NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars begins steep climb to crater rim
The rocks at the crater’s rim could provide clues about how rocky planets like Mars and Earth formed, said Steven Lee of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California | Photo: Shutterstock
NASA’s Perseverance rover is taking on a new challenge on Mars. The six-wheeled rover has spent the past 3 1/2 years wandering around the bottom of a crater. On Tuesday, it began climbing to the top.
The rover will ascend 1,000 feet (305 meters) to the rim of Jezero Crater to dig up rock samples. Since landing on the Red Planet in 2021, Perseverance has collected 22 rock core samples from the floor of the crater, which was once filled with water.
The rover’s samples could help scientists reconstruct what the planet’s climate was like billions of years ago and whether ancient life existed on Mars. NASA is investigating ways to bring the rock samples back to Earth.
According to Steven Lee of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, the solid rock at the crater’s rim could provide clues about the formation of rocky planets like Mars and Earth.
But the road ahead won’t be easy. Perseverance will climb rocky terrain and slopes of up to 23 degrees during the months-long journey.
Perseverance has certainly been a go-getter, Lee said. The rover has traveled about 18 miles (29 kilometers) during its exploration.
The rock at the top of the crater may have originated from ancient hydrothermal vents where heated water and dissolved minerals spewed out after a cycle beneath the planet’s surface. On Earth, similar places like Yellowstone National Park are considered a cradle for life.
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First publication: Aug 28, 2024 | 07:25 AM IST