Perseverance rover enters new territory

Since landing in February 2021, the Perseverance rover has been exploring Jezero Crater to collect samples of Martian rocks and soil. Since January, the rover has been tracing the southern side of the Neretva Vallis, an ancient fossil river channel that could provide valuable clues to Mars’ hydrological history. Its journey has finally brought it to its current destination, Bright Angel, where exciting new discoveries await.

Go off the beaten track

The road to Bright Angel has not been without its challenges. Initially, Perseverance progressed smoothly through Martian terrain. However, a few months ago, the rover encountered an unexpected boulder field that was slowing its progress. The boulders were so numerous and so large that they were actually starting to seriously hamper the rover’s navigation capabilities. As a reminder, its AutoNav navigation system was designed to navigate around minor obstacles and allow the rover to follow a general route established by operators on Earth. However, in the face of these massive obstacles, Perseverance’s speed dropped from more than a hundred meters per Martian day to just a few dozen meters. This slowness therefore pushed the engineers to rethink the route. The decision was made to direct Perseverance towards a Martian dune field and cross the river channel. This strategy was risky, as Martian dunes can easily trap rovers, as demonstrated by the Spirit mission’s experience in 2009. Fortunately, the dunes in this region were small and spaced out enough to allow Perseverance to navigate through them safely. This detour will have finally allowed the rover to resume a cruising speed of 200 meters per day Martian, while leaving behind the troublesome rocks. Traversing these dunes not only allowed Perseverance to bypass physical obstacles, it also provided new opportunities for scientific discovery. As it descended to the bottom of the channel, the rover explored Mount Washburn, a rocky hill of significant geological interest. Mission scientists hope the area could reveal crucial information about Mars’ geological processes, including indications of past volcanic activity.
Composed of 18 images, this natural-color mosaic shows a boulder field on “Mount Washburn” in Jezero Crater. Credit: NASA

Welcome to Bright Angel

After exploring Mount Washburn, Perseverance continued west to eventually reach Bright Angela site so named for its light-colored rock outcrops, potentially formed by the ancient river. It offers a unique opportunity to understand the geological and hydrological history of the region. By analyzing the local rocks, scientists hope to gather data on past environmental conditions and their potential to have supported life. The decision to collect a sample will be based on the initial analysis of these rocks. Perseverance’s mission to Bright Angel therefore marks an important milestone in the exploration of Mars, potentially bringing scientists closer to understanding the conditions that could have supported life on the Red Planet.