Mars Perseverance Rover - Revision history

Suitupshowup: added section telling of discoveries

2026-01-12T17:00:17Z

added section telling of discoveries

Suitupshowup: added info

2023-09-23T16:36:00Z

added info

Suitupshowup: added info

2023-09-23T16:34:43Z

added info

Suitupshowup at 16:32, 23 September 2023

2023-09-23T16:32:12Z

Suitupshowup at 16:31, 23 September 2023

2023-09-23T16:31:30Z

Suitupshowup: added image

2023-09-23T16:30:15Z

added image

Jburk at 01:39, 3 December 2021

2021-12-03T01:39:44Z

Suitupandshowup: added link

2021-03-09T00:21:13Z

added link

Jburk at 00:11, 4 July 2020

2020-07-04T00:11:58Z

Jburk at 00:11, 4 July 2020

2020-07-04T00:11:26Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:00, 12 January 2026
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	[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg\|frame\|none\|Path the rover took on its own. It was told where to go and it calculated the best path. The pale blue line indicates the course of the center of the front wheel hubs, while darker blue lines show the paths of the rover’s six wheels. Picture is a portion of a boulder field dubbed “Snowdrift Peak.” With the help of its self-driving autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, Perseverance traversed the field much more quickly than previous rovers could have.]]		[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg\|frame\|none\|Path the rover took on its own. It was told where to go and it calculated the best path. The pale blue line indicates the course of the center of the front wheel hubs, while darker blue lines show the paths of the rover’s six wheels. Picture is a portion of a boulder field dubbed “Snowdrift Peak.” With the help of its self-driving autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, Perseverance traversed the field much more quickly than previous rovers could have.]]
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		+	==Jezero Crater discoveries with Perseverance==
		+
		+	The Perseverance rover landed in Jesero crater and has greatly increased our understanding of the crater. Although Jezero shows the classic signs of a lake, especially with its deltas, igneous rocks were found.<ref> https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/1530.pdf</ref> <ref>Schmidt, M., et al. 2022. HIGHLY DIFFERENTIATED BASALTIC LAVAS EXAMINED BY PIXL IN JEZERO CRATER. 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 1530.pdf</ref> One would have expected just sedimentary rocks. Furthermore some of the rocks had large crystals that indicated slow cooling. Large crystals are formed in maga bodies after a long period of cooling. The crystals were composed of the mineral olivine surrounded by another mineral called pyroxene. That arrangement happens in thick magma bodies and geologists call this type of texture "Cumulate."<ref> https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59677383</ref> In additon basalt lava was found.<ref> https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9036/nasas-perseverance-rover-collects-puzzle-pieces-of-mars-history/</ref> Minerals that are produced with water, like carbonates, were found as well. <ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-ready-to-roll-for-miles-in-years-ahead/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1-nasajpl&utm_content=daily20251218-3</ref> <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref>Kenneth H. Williford et al. ,Carbonated ultramafic igneous rocks in Jezero crater, Mars.Science0,eadu8264DOI:10.1126/science.adu8264</ref>
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		+	So at this point researchers have pieced together an understanding of the processes and their timing of how Jezero ended it to be how it is<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-ready-to-roll-for-miles-in-years-ahead/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1-nasajpl&utm_content=daily20251218-3</ref> <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref>Kenneth H. Williford et al. ,Carbonated ultramafic igneous rocks in Jezero crater, Mars.Science0,eadu8264DOI:10.1126/science.adu8264</ref>. After an impact created the Jezero Crater cavity, hot magma moved into weak parts of the crust and accumulated under the ground forming what are called intrusions. They may be called sills, dikes, or lacoliths depending on their shapes. In these chambers, magma underwent a slow cooling. The rocks with the large crystals were part of a group that was named the Seith Formation. Lava, then came into Jezero. The basalt from the lava flow was called the Maaza Formation.<ref>https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59677383</ref> <ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-makes-surprising-discoveries</ref> Maaz is rich in the minerals pyroxene and plagioclase. It cooled quicker on the top of a mass of magma or lava. Water has altered the chemistry of the rock because carbonate, iron oxides, amorphous silicates, sulfates, halite, perchlorates, phosphates, and possible
		+	phyllosilicates were found in the rock.<ref> https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2022/pdf/1798.pdf</ref> <ref>Sun, V., et al. 2022. EXPLORING THE JEZERO CRATER FLOOR: OVERVIEW OF RESULTS FROM THE MARS 2020</ref> Erosion removed some of the upper parts of the intrusions, especially the Seith Formation. As a result of this erosion, instruments on Perseverance were able to analyze the minerals in Seith and discover the size and composition of its minerals. Eventually a large lake developed in the crater and made the carbonate minerals found by instruments on Perseverance.<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-ready-to-roll-for-miles-in-years-ahead/?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1-nasajpl&utm_content=daily20251218-3</ref> <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref>Kenneth H. Williford et al. ,Carbonated ultramafic igneous rocks in Jezero crater, Mars.Science0,eadu8264DOI:10.1126/science.adu8264</ref> <ref> https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo2196</ref> <ref>Farley, K., et al. 2022. Aqueously altered igneous rocks sampled on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.abo2196</ref>
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		+	Organic minerals that are probably aromatics or stable molecules of carbon and hydrogen connected to sulfates, were detected. Sulfate minerals can preserve information about the watery environments in which they formed. These molecules were found in a place called "Wildcat Ridge." It is believed to have formed as mud and sand settled in a saltwater lake that was evaporating. The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals, or SHERLOC was used for the analysis.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/15/world/perseverance-rover-mars-images-scn/index.html</ref> <ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-perseverance-rover-investigates-geologically-rich-mars-terrain?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nasajpl&utm_content=Daily-09152022</ref>
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		+	Some rock and mineral fragments that are present in the Skinner Ridge sample hint at originating hundreds of miles outside Jezero Crater. This is from a distance that the rover will not be able to travel, but scientists will still get to examine them when the samples are returned to Earth.<ref>https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/perseverance-rover-finds-organic-matter-treasure-on-mars/ar-AA11SJvX?ocid=mailsignout&cvid=d57c0d217b88485f8e8e25525f1a15ef</ref>
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		+	Perseverance may have discovered the remains of life. It found chemicals that may have been created by anaerobic organisms in the past. Speckles in rocks contained the minerals vivianite, an iron phosphate, and greigite, an iron sulfide. What’s more both formed in close association with organic carbon. On Earth, vivianite frequently forms in lakes and coastal sediments where microbes use iron in their metabolism. They take iron (III) oxide, use it, and then give off Ferrous iron (II) as a waste. That ferrous iron reacts with phosphate to form vivianite.<ref> https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720366067#:~:text=Vivianite%20is%20an%20important%20product,of%20vivianite%20in%20environmental%20field.</ref> <ref>Yuan, Q., et al. 2021. Biosynthesis of vivianite from microbial extracellular electron transfer and environmental application. Science of the total environment. Volume 762, 143076 </ref>
		+	Greigite tends to form when microbes break down sulfate. They change sulfate to sulfide which unites with iron to produce greigite. <ref>Igarashi, K., et al. 2016. Natural synthesis of bioactive greigite by solid–gas reactions. journal/geochimica-et-cosmochimica-acta . Volume 191, 15 October 2016, Pages 47-57. </ref> When found together on Earth, these minerals and organic molecules are usually considered a sort of biosignature.<ref>https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-life-on-mars-this-rock-may-hold-the-answer/#:~:text=In%20their%20Nature%20study%2C%20Hurowitz,also%20shows%20an%20abrasion%20patch.</ref> <ref>https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-there-life-on-mars-this-rock-may-hold-the-answer/#:~:text=In%20their%20Nature%20study%2C%20Hurowitz,also%20shows%20an%20abrasion%20patch.</ref> There are possible, but not probable ways, that these minerals may have been formed without microbes.<ref> Hurowitz, J.A., Tice, M.M., Allwood, A.C. et al. Redox-driven mineral and organic associations in Jezero Crater, Mars. Nature 645, 332–340 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09413-0</ref> They could have been made without biological reactions, including constant high temperatures, acidic conditions, and binding by organic compounds. But, the rocks in this place, called Bright Angel, do not show evidence that they experienced high temperatures or acidic conditions, and it is unknown whether the organic compounds present would’ve been capable of catalyzing the reaction at the expected low temperatures. This chemical evidence of past life appeared in some of the youngest sedimentary rocks the mission has examined. For a long time, we assumed signs of ancient life would be only found in older rock formations. This discovery may mean that Mars could have been habitable for a longer period or later in the planet’s history than previously thought. Older rocks also might hold signs of life that are simply harder to detect.<ref> https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/#:~:text=In%20higher%2Dresolution%20images%2C%20the,the%20reaction%20at%20low%20temperatures.</ref> The truth about these rocks may not be really known until the samples that were gathered are brought to the Earth.
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	==References:==		==References:==

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                     Drawing and actual pictures of Perseverance actual landing on Mars
-[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg|frame|none|Path the rover took on its own.  It was told where to go and it calculated the best path.  Picture is a portion of a boulder field dubbed “Snowdrift Peak.” With the help of its self-driving autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, Perseverance traversed the field much more quickly than previous rovers could have.]]
+[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg|frame|none|Path the rover took on its own.  It was told where to go and it calculated the best path.  The pale blue line indicates the course of the center of the front wheel hubs, while darker blue lines show the paths of the rover’s six wheels.  Picture is a portion of a boulder field dubbed “Snowdrift Peak.” With the help of its self-driving autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, Perseverance traversed the field much more quickly than previous rovers could have.]]
 ==References:==

@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
                     Drawing and actual pictures of Perseverance actual landing on Mars
-[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg|frame|none|Path the rover took on its own.  it was told where to go and it calculated the best path]]
+[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg|frame|none|Path the rover took on its own.  It was told where to go and it calculated the best path.  Picture is a portion of a boulder field dubbed “Snowdrift Peak.” With the help of its self-driving autonomous navigation system, AutoNav, Perseverance traversed the field much more quickly than previous rovers could have.]]
 ==References:==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:32, 23 September 2023
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	[[File:2020RoverArtistsConception.png\|frame\|none\|Image 5: Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover artists conception. (NASA)]]		[[File:2020RoverArtistsConception.png\|frame\|none\|Image 5: Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover artists conception. (NASA)]]

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−	~~[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg\|frame\|none\|Path the rover took on its own. it was told where to go and it calculated the best path]]~~

	The most important goal of the Perseverance Rover is to prepare for a human mission to Mars. The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) is a new instrument on Perseverance that’s purpose is directly associated with a human mission. Mars has an abundance of oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide. MOXIE will intake the CO2 and heat it up to 800o C. When the molecules are heated, they separate into carbon and oxygen. The conversion of Martian CO2 into O2, will pave the way for a human mission to Mars. The goal is to make rocket fuel for a human return mission to Earth. The implications are also relevant to O2 generation for human life support systems. MOXIE is “an exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.” (NASA)		The most important goal of the Perseverance Rover is to prepare for a human mission to Mars. The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) is a new instrument on Perseverance that’s purpose is directly associated with a human mission. Mars has an abundance of oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide. MOXIE will intake the CO2 and heat it up to 800o C. When the molecules are heated, they separate into carbon and oxygen. The conversion of Martian CO2 into O2, will pave the way for a human mission to Mars. The goal is to make rocket fuel for a human return mission to Earth. The implications are also relevant to O2 generation for human life support systems. MOXIE is “an exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.” (NASA)

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:31, 23 September 2023
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	Drawing and actual pictures of Perseverance actual landing on Mars		Drawing and actual pictures of Perseverance actual landing on Mars

		+	[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg\|frame\|none\|Path the rover took on its own. it was told where to go and it calculated the best path]]

	==References:==		==References:==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:30, 23 September 2023
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	[[File:2020RoverArtistsConception.png\|frame\|none\|Image 5: Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover artists conception. (NASA)]]		[[File:2020RoverArtistsConception.png\|frame\|none\|Image 5: Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover artists conception. (NASA)]]
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		+	[[File:Perseverancepath.jpg\|frame\|none\|Path the rover took on its own. it was told where to go and it calculated the best path]]

	The most important goal of the Perseverance Rover is to prepare for a human mission to Mars. The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) is a new instrument on Perseverance that’s purpose is directly associated with a human mission. Mars has an abundance of oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide. MOXIE will intake the CO2 and heat it up to 800o C. When the molecules are heated, they separate into carbon and oxygen. The conversion of Martian CO2 into O2, will pave the way for a human mission to Mars. The goal is to make rocket fuel for a human return mission to Earth. The implications are also relevant to O2 generation for human life support systems. MOXIE is “an exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.” (NASA)		The most important goal of the Perseverance Rover is to prepare for a human mission to Mars. The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) is a new instrument on Perseverance that’s purpose is directly associated with a human mission. Mars has an abundance of oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide. MOXIE will intake the CO2 and heat it up to 800o C. When the molecules are heated, they separate into carbon and oxygen. The conversion of Martian CO2 into O2, will pave the way for a human mission to Mars. The goal is to make rocket fuel for a human return mission to Earth. The implications are also relevant to O2 generation for human life support systems. MOXIE is “an exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.” (NASA)

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 [[Category:Mars Spacecraft/Robotic Missions]]
-NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover (formerly Mars 2020) has a launch window from July 20 thru August 11, 2020 with a planned landing for February 18, 2021.  The landing site selected is Jezero Crater at the coordinates 18.38°N 77.58°E, at nearly the same longitude as the Viking I lander in 1976. Perseverance has four major goals.  The first goal is to determine whether life ever arose on Mars, the second goal is to characterize the climate of Mars, third is to characterize the geology of Mars, fourth and most importantly to prepare for human exploration of Mars.
+NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover (formerly Mars 2020) launched on July 30, 2020 and landed on Mars on February 18, 2021.  The landing site is Jezero Crater at the coordinates 18.38°N 77.58°E, at nearly the same longitude as the Viking I lander in 1976. Perseverance has four major goals.  The first goal is to determine whether life ever arose on Mars, the second goal is to characterize the climate of Mars, third is to characterize the geology of Mars, fourth and most importantly to prepare for human exploration of Mars.
 [[File:Mars2020Rover.jpg|thumb|800px|none|Image 1: NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover major instrumentation placement. (NASA)]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:21, 9 March 2021
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	The most important goal of the Perseverance Rover is to prepare for a human mission to Mars. The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) is a new instrument on Perseverance that’s purpose is directly associated with a human mission. Mars has an abundance of oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide. MOXIE will intake the CO2 and heat it up to 800o C. When the molecules are heated, they separate into carbon and oxygen. The conversion of Martian CO2 into O2, will pave the way for a human mission to Mars. The goal is to make rocket fuel for a human return mission to Earth. The implications are also relevant to O2 generation for human life support systems. MOXIE is “an exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.” (NASA)		The most important goal of the Perseverance Rover is to prepare for a human mission to Mars. The Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) is a new instrument on Perseverance that’s purpose is directly associated with a human mission. Mars has an abundance of oxygen in the form of carbon dioxide. MOXIE will intake the CO2 and heat it up to 800o C. When the molecules are heated, they separate into carbon and oxygen. The conversion of Martian CO2 into O2, will pave the way for a human mission to Mars. The goal is to make rocket fuel for a human return mission to Earth. The implications are also relevant to O2 generation for human life support systems. MOXIE is “an exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.” (NASA)
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		+	[[File:Perseverancelandingcompositelabeled.jpg\|Drawing and actual pictures of Perseverance actual landing on Mars]]
		+	Drawing and actual pictures of Perseverance actual landing on Mars

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:11, 4 July 2020
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−	Instruments	+	==Instruments==

	The Perseverance Rover is equipped with 23 cameras, each with different specifications and purposes. One of the cameras, called the up-look camera, will record the descent stage of the rover and the descent stage camera will record the landing. The mast of Perseverance includes two Navcams to help the rover team with navigation. On the front and rear of the rover are additional cameras for hazard detection, called Hazcams. For the first time a rover on Mars will be outfitted with microphones. One microphone is on the landing package and the other is housed on the Super CAM instrument. The Super CAM microphone will allow scientists to hear the sounds of Mars and the landing microphone will allow scientists to analyze entry, descent, and landing.		The Perseverance Rover is equipped with 23 cameras, each with different specifications and purposes. One of the cameras, called the up-look camera, will record the descent stage of the rover and the descent stage camera will record the landing. The mast of Perseverance includes two Navcams to help the rover team with navigation. On the front and rear of the rover are additional cameras for hazard detection, called Hazcams. For the first time a rover on Mars will be outfitted with microphones. One microphone is on the landing package and the other is housed on the Super CAM instrument. The Super CAM microphone will allow scientists to hear the sounds of Mars and the landing microphone will allow scientists to analyze entry, descent, and landing.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:11, 4 July 2020
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	NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover (formerly Mars 2020) has a launch window from July 20 thru August 11, 2020 with a planned landing for February 18, 2021. The landing site selected is Jezero Crater at the coordinates 18.38°N 77.58°E, at nearly the same longitude as the Viking I lander in 1976. Perseverance has four major goals. The first goal is to determine whether life ever arose on Mars, the second goal is to characterize the climate of Mars, third is to characterize the geology of Mars, fourth and most importantly to prepare for human exploration of Mars.		NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover (formerly Mars 2020) has a launch window from July 20 thru August 11, 2020 with a planned landing for February 18, 2021. The landing site selected is Jezero Crater at the coordinates 18.38°N 77.58°E, at nearly the same longitude as the Viking I lander in 1976. Perseverance has four major goals. The first goal is to determine whether life ever arose on Mars, the second goal is to characterize the climate of Mars, third is to characterize the geology of Mars, fourth and most importantly to prepare for human exploration of Mars.

−	[[File:Mars2020Rover.jpg\|~~frame~~\|800px\|none\|Image 1: NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover major instrumentation placement. (NASA)]]	+	[[File:Mars2020Rover.jpg\|thumb\|800px\|none\|Image 1: NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover major instrumentation placement. (NASA)]]