Mars 2020: Perseverance Rover News & Features

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reaches Top of Jezero Crater Rim

5 min read

The road ahead will be even more scientifically intriguing, and probably somewhat easier-going, now that the six-wheeler has completed its long climb to the top. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has crested the top of Jezero Crater’s rim at a location…

Article2 weeks ago

NASA Performs First Aircraft Accident Investigation on Another World

5 min read

The review takes a close look the final flight of the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which was the first aircraft to fly on another world. Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and AeroVironment are completing a detailed…

Article2 weeks ago

NASA’s Perseverance Captures ‘Googly Eye’ During Solar Eclipse

4 min read

The tiny, potato-shaped moon Phobos, one of two Martian moons, cast a silhouette as it passed in front of the Sun, creating an eye in Mars’ sky. From its perch on the western wall of Mars’ Jezero Crater, NASA’s Perseverance…

Article2 months ago

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Looks Back While Climbing Slippery Slope

6 min read

On its way up the side of Jezero Crater, the agency’s latest Red Planet off-roader peers all the way back to its landing site and scopes the path ahead.   NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is negotiating a steeply sloping route…

Article2 months ago

NASA’s Perseverance Rover to Begin Long Climb Up Martian Crater Rim

5 min read

Editor’s note: This story was updated Aug. 16, 2024, to correct the length of time that NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has been exploring Jezero Crater. After 3½ years exploring Jezero Crater’s floor and river delta, the rover will ascend to an…

Article4 months ago

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scientists Find Intriguing Mars Rock

7 min read

The six-wheeled geologist found a fascinating rock that has some indications it may have hosted microbial life billions of years ago, but further research is needed. A vein-filled rock is catching the eye of the science team of NASA’s Perseverance…

Article5 months ago
A sweeping landscape gives way to hills on the colorized horizon in this artistic Mars composite image.

UPDATED: 10 Things for Mars 10

4 min read

Scientists from around the world are gathering this week in California to take stock of the state of science from Mars and discuss goals for the next steps in exploration of the Red Planet. In the spirit of Mars 10,…

Article5 months ago

Here’s How AI Is Changing NASA’s Mars Rover Science

6 min read

Artificial intelligence is helping scientists to identify minerals within rocks studied by the Perseverance rover. Some scientists dream of exploring planets with “smart” spacecraft that know exactly what data to look for, where to find it, and how to analyze…

Article5 months ago
This image of Perseverance's backshell and parachute was collected by NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter during its 26th flight on April 19, 2022.

Mapping the Red Planet with the Power of Open Science

4 min read

Mars rovers can only make exciting new discoveries thanks to human scientists making careful decisions about their next stop. The Mars 2020 mission is aimed at exploring the geology of Jezero Crater and seeking signs of ancient microbial life on…

Article6 months ago

Detective Work Enables Perseverance Team to Revive SHERLOC Instrument

5 min read

After six months of effort, an instrument that helps the Mars rover look for potential signs of ancient microbial life has come back online. The SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) instrument aboard NASA’s…

Article6 months ago