Project
Car-sized NASA rover exploring Mars's Gale Crater since 2012, drilling rocks and analyzing geology to study the planet's past habitability.
NASA's Perseverance reached 28.10 miles on Mars on October 11, passing Opportunity's 28.06-mile off-world driving record. NASA says its AutoNav software has guided more than 90% of the rover's total distance.
Perspective Coverage
6 publishersReality
NASA's Curiosity rover has climbed 1 km up Mount Sharp, by NASA's count the most elevation gained on Mars. Arm work on the wind-carved yardang cliffs ahead, the study meant to show how they formed, is hoped for in 2027.
Perspective Coverage
3 publishersReality
Oklahoma State and UT Health researchers report that cells kept near iron-ion-struck cells, though never hit themselves, went on to form tumors in mice. If that holds in people, a Mars crew's risk lies mostly in the 97% of cells iron ions miss.
Reality
Curiosity has drilled its 48th Gale crater rock, a target called Basque Lakes, in the newly entered Cache Creek quad. A weekend X-ray diffraction run will give the first mineral data on how this rock formed and was later altered.
Reality
Curiosity's team planned four chemistry readings on blocks covered in disc-shaped lumps, a texture Earth rocks can show where evaporating fluid left minerals. Settling whether that happened on Mars will likely take the rover's next drill sample and its CheMin instrument.
Reality
The mission's project scientist describes three hours to triage telemetry and agree on targets, then four more to compile commands that must fit the rover's available time and energy before sunrise on Mars.
Reality
The rover's first polygon field gives Gale Crater a calibration point for wet-dry cycling. Orbital polygons are at least 190 times wider, and no rover has stood next to one.
Reality