NASA’s Perseverance rover reached the highest point on the rim of Jezero Crater on December 10, 2024. The ascent took 3.5 months. But from there there was an amazing view of the crater and its surroundings. The Mars rover arrived at the bottom of the crater almost four Earth years ago and all this time explored it – a pothole left by a huge meteorite that fell there 3.9 billion years ago. Now the rover has left the crash site and will study rocks from the depths of Mars.
Image source: NASA
Outside the Jezero Crater in its vicinity, scientists intend to study fragments of rocks of ancient Mars, which were knocked out of its depths by a prehistoric meteorite impact. The fifth scientific campaign started immediately after the rover climbed to the very top of the crater. Before its start, the rover climbed to the highest point of the route – Lookout Hill, from where it took a panorama overlooking the bottom of the Jezero crater, where it spent years after landing, and its slopes.
The climb was not easy. During one of its segments, the NASA team had to test reversing for the first time. The crumbling soil and a slope of up to 20% made the rover’s “drivers” nervous. And the most exciting thing, perhaps, was that the rover moved itself along a pre-programmed route without the direct intervention of operators. If he had stumbled, no one would have been able to help him.
The rover’s further journey should be easier. Over the next four years, Perseverance must visit four study sites, take several samples and travel up to 6.4 km in total. An animation shows the rover’s planned route.
«These rocks represent fragments of early Martian crust and are among the oldest rocks found anywhere in the solar system. Studying them could help us understand what Mars—and our own planet—might have looked like at the very beginning,” mission officials explain.
The rover is now heading towards the Witch Hazel Hill site. This is approximately 100 m of layered outcrop, where each layer is like a page in the book of Martian history. The next point on the route will be Lake Sharm, about 3 km to the south. This place is far enough away from the rim of the crater that it may not be affected by a meteorite impact. And this will be just the beginning of a new adventure beyond the rim of the Jezero Crater.