29 August 2024
Perseverance begins an ambitious ascent up a Mars crater rim
© NASA
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has started off on its most ambitious ascent yet – up the rim of Jezero crater. Kicking off a new phase of exploration, Perseverance began its trek up the western rim of the crater on 19 August, marking the rover’s fifth science campaign, called the Crater Rim Campaign. The climb is expected to be steep and challenging, with an approximate 304-metre (1,000-foot) elevation gain by the time Perseverance summits the crater, which is believed to have once harboured a huge lake and river delta. “Given its broad scope and the wide diversity of rocks we expect to encounter and sample along the way, it may be the most ambitious campaign the team has attempted so far,” NASA officials said.