Margin Unit Archives - Astrobiology

(a) Mastcam-Z image of the base of the delta with the Rockytop outcrop within the 6 m high scarp (sol 429, zcam08452) located at the base of the Tenby formation immediately overlying the Hogwallow Flats light-toned deposits. The white arrow indicates the fallen block where the SuperCam target Fourway has been analyzed. -- JGR Planets

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

In Situ Carbonation of Sedimentary and Igneous Rocks of Ultramafic Composition in Jezero Crater, Mars

by Keith CowingMay 15, 2026May 15, 2026

Over 3.5 years of exploration in Jezero Crater, the Perseverance rover has explored several geological units of diverse origins and natures, performing multi-technique remote analyses of the chemistry and mineralogy […]

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this view of a location nicknamed “Mont Musard” on Sept. 8, 2025. Made up of three images, the panorama also captures another region, “Lac de Charmes,” where the rover’s team will be looking for more rock core samples to collect in the year ahead. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS (sky modified by Astrobiology.com) Full Image Details

Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Perseverance Can Continue To Operate On Mars Until At Least 2031

by Keith CowingDecember 17, 2025December 18, 2025

The rover has been acing a long-term series of durability tests, making the most of its enhanced navigation capabilities, and ferreting out new findings about Mars’ geologic past.

Colorized HiRISE map of the western edge of Jezero crater with rover traverse. The colors of the traverse indicate the location of different science campaigns with green showing the Crater Floor campaign (Section 2.1), orange showing the Fan Front campaign (Section 2.2), blue showing the Upper Fan campaign (Section 2.2), and pink showing the Margin Unit campaign (Section 2.4). Black arrows indicate the location of two investigations on boulders (Section 2.3). Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) scans are indicated by either a square, triangle, or circle, indicating data collected on a natural surface target, an abrasion patch, or an abrasion patch where a sample was also collected, respectively. Sols associated with the triangles and circles indicate when the rover was at that location. The location of Three Forks Depot is shown by a star for reference. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

Multiple Episodes of Fluid Alteration in Jezero Crater Indicated by MIST Mineral Identifications in PIXL XRF Data

by Keith CowingSeptember 23, 2025September 23, 2025

The Mineral Identification by Stoichiometry (MIST) algorithm can identify mineral species in geochemical data sets. MIST is applied to X-ray fluorescence chemical analyses from the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry […]

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its right-front navigation camera to capture this first view over the rim of Jezero Crater on Dec. 10, 2024, the 1,354th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The camera is facing west from a location nicknamed “Lookout Hill.” Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving

Mars Perseverance Rover Reaches Top Of Jezero Crater Rim

by Keith CowingDecember 12, 2024December 12, 2024

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has crested the top of Jezero Crater’s rim at a location the science team calls “Lookout Hill” and rolling toward its first science stop after the […]

This image of NASA’s Perseverance rover gathering data on the “Walhalla Glades” abrasion was taken in the “Bright Angel” region of Jezero Crater by one of the rover’s front hazard avoidance cameras on June 14. The WATSON camera on the SHERLOC instrument is closest to the Martian surface. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

Perseverance Mars Rover Team Revives The SHERLOC Astrobiology Instrument

by Keith CowingJune 27, 2024June 27, 2024

After six months of effort, an instrument that helps the Mars rover look for potential signs of ancient microbial life has come back online.

NASA’s Perseverance rover was traveling in the ancient Neretva Vallis river channel when it captured this view of an area of scientific interest named “Bright Angel” — the light-toned area in the distance at right — with one of its navigation cameras on June 6. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Larger image

Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors

Perseverance Astrobiology Droid Crosses An Ancient Martian River Bed To Reach A Science Target

by Keith CowingJune 13, 2024June 13, 2024

After detouring through a dune field to avoid wheel-rattling boulders, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover reached its latest area of scientific interest on June 9. The route change not only shortened […]