NASA's Perseverance rover shares updated information during complicated ascent to Mars

NASA's Perseverance rover shares updated information during complicated ascent to Mars

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NASA's Perseverance rover is in the midst of a months-long journey along the rim of Jezero Crater on Mars, and on Thursday it broadcast a status update.

The vehicle began its ascent in August in what is considered the most ambitious and arduous phase of Perseverance's mission since its arrival on the red planet in early 2021.

“My journey to the edge of Jezero Crater has been challenging,” the rover said in a post on its social media account overseen by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is leading the Mars mission. “As you can see in this image from my rear Hazcam, I'm dealing with steep and slippery terrain. But thanks to my equipment and the autonomous navigation system, I am avoiding great dangers as I slowly advance.”

The image below shows one of the rover's six wheels and the tracks they leave behind as Perseverance makes its ascent.

In a previous post, Perseverance said it has a few places to explore on its way to the top, adding that the JPL team was most excited about an area above the ridge and outside the crater called Witch Hazel Hill, which includes the Martian crust. older than the rover is likely to encounter on its journey.

To get there, Perseverance tackles slopes of up to 23 degrees and rising about 1,000 feet (305 meters).

Perseverance has spent virtually all of the last three and a half years exploring the floor of Jezero Crater, as well as the site of an ancient river delta. NASA selected this area for the mission because it was once a huge lake that may have supported microbial life. Perseverance has been collecting rock cores from this location for further analysis that could reveal whether life ever existed on the distant planet.





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