Three and a half years after landing in Mars’ Jezero Crater, a crater north of the Martian equator, NASA’s Perseverance rover is navigating the steepest terrain of its mission in an effort to climb out. As it ascends along the western rim of the Crater, it’s capturing memorable photos.
Perseverance landed on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021, and has been exploring the Jezero Crater base and its river delta ever since. By mid-August, after traveling about 19 miles and collecting 24 rocks for a future sample return mission, the rover began its fifth science campaign at the crater rim.
As it tackles the most challenging terrains of its mission on the red planet, Perseverance is capturing breathtaking panoramas. These images provide a new perspective on both its past journey and the challenges ahead during its new scientific endeavors.
What Will Perseverance Do at the Crater Rim?
The Perseverance science team wants to prioritize two key regions for study at the Jezero Crater rim: Pico Turquino and Witch Hazel Hill. Images of ancient geological fractures captured by Martian orbiters suggest that Pico Turquino may have been exposed to extinct hydrothermal activity millions of years ago. In contrast, Witch Hazel Hill contains stratified rocks that possibly date back to a time when Mars had a very different climate.
These areas are especially interesting to NASA scientists because they could provide evidence that Mars once had habitable conditions and may have harbored microbial life. Recently, Perseverance explored an area called Bright Angel and sampled a rock nicknamed “Cheyava Falls.” The unusual structures of this rock could indicate that microbial life existed when water flowed through the crater.
To reach these promising locations, the rover will need to climb slopes of up to 23 degrees covered in sand and dust over a fragile soil crust. While Perseverance has successfully navigated similar inclines in the past, this will be the first time it encounters this kind of slippery, loose terrain in combination with steep slopes.
An Incredibly Challenging Ascent
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory meticulously plans the movements of the Perseverance rover. However, the beginning of the climb was quite challenging. For every two steps forward the rover took, it often needed to backtrack by at least one step.
To address these difficulties, mission engineers gathered to brainstorm alternative options and tested several tactics to improve the rover’s traction. These included driving in reverse under conditions that favored Perseverance’s suspension system and zigzagging to reduce the incline while maintaining control.
The testing also involved remaining close to the northern edge of the slope, where larger rocks provide better grip. In fact, this strategy proved to be the most effective. NASA now plans to prioritize this approach as Perseverance continues its ascent. The science team aims to reach the top of the crater rim as soon as possible but is also enjoying the panoramic views of the slope along the way.
On Sept. 27, Perseverance captured a mosaic of 44 images from a halfway point the team calls Faraway Rock. These images showcase the interior of Jezero Crater and many of the landmarks the rover has explored since its arrival.
Image | NASA/JPL-Caltech
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