Perseverance rover made an epic climb up the side of a crater

NASA’s Perseverance rover has recently completed a significant part of its arduous journey on the Martian surface.

Aptly named “Lookout Hill,” it’s the apex of the Jezero Crater’s rim – a location that is noteworthy due to the unique form of Martian geology it presents.

This milestone marks the conclusion of the uphill adventure, a process that has lasted more than three months and has seen the rover maneuver its way up 1,640 vertical feet (500 vertical meters) with an incline of 20 percent.

The rover diligently recorded observations at stops along the way.

Perseverance conquers the Jezero Crater rim

The exploration of Lookout Hill was recently discussed in a media briefing at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting – the largest gathering of Earth and space scientists in the country. The experts noted that the path to Lookout Hill was challenging.

“During the Jezero Crater rim climb, our rover drivers have done an amazing job negotiating some of the toughest terrain we’ve encountered since landing,” explained Steven Lee, deputy project manager for Perseverance.

As innovative approaches were invented and tested, like trying to move backward, the rover successfully navigated these difficulties and survived like a true champion.

The ongoing work of Perseverance

The journey is not over yet. The science team has more to uncover in the next phase of the campaign.

Since its arrival at Jezero in February 2021, Perseverance has accomplished four science campaigns: the “Crater Floor,” “Fan Front,” “Upper Fan,” and “Margin Unit.”

Now, as it commences its 5th campaign, named the “Northern Rim,” it is expected to visit up to four sites of geological interest, gather samples, and cover about four miles (6.4 kilometers).

“The Northern Rim campaign brings us completely new scientific riches as Perseverance roves into fundamentally new geology,” noted Ken Farley, project scientist for Perseverance.

This expedition signifies a shift from studying rocks, which partially filled the Jezero Crater upon its formation, to examining rocks thrown up from deep within the Martian crust due to the impact.

These ancient rocks hold clues to the planet’s early history and may offer insights into Earth’s formative years.

The first landmark: Witch Hazel Hill

After the triumph on Lookout Hill, Perseverance embarked on its quest to unearth the Martian history encoded in the layered outcrop of a geological feature known as “Witch Hazel Hill.”

“Each layer is like a page in the book of Martian history,” explained Candice Bedford, a scientist associated with the Perseverance project.

As the rover descends the hill, it will explore deeper into the ancient Martian environments recorded in the crater rim.

After descending, the journey continues toward “Lac de Charmes,” a location about 2 miles south, which is situated on the plains beyond the rim. This region is less likely to be significantly affected by the formation of Jezero Crater.

Following its trip to Lac de Charmes, the rover will to explore an impressive outcrop of large blocks known as megabreccia.

These blocks could reveal ancient bedrock that was shattered during the Isidis impact – an event that presumably gouged deeply into the Martian crust and created a wide impact basin.

The primary mission of Perseverance

A crucial part of Perseverance’s mission is the pursuit of astrobiology, which includes finding samples that may bear signs of ancient microbial life.

The rover will analyze the Red Planet’s geology and previous climate patterns to aid future human expeditions to Mars. The mission also includes the collection and caching of Martian rock and regolith.

As a part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission collaborates with ESA (European Space Agency) in the Mars Sample Return Program.

The fundamental goal of this program is to collect sealed samples from the Martian surface and return them to Earth for detailed analysis.

The operations of the rover are all managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is operated by Caltech on behalf of the agency.

The information in this article is sourced from NASA’s JPL.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/JHU-APL

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