In 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover explored Neretva Vallis, an ancient river channel that once transported water into Jezero crater.
NASA Perseverance rover
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors
Sampling Mars: Geologic Context and Preliminary Characterization of Samples Collected by the NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission
The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission has collected samples of rock, regolith, and atmosphere within the Noachian-aged Jezero Crater, once the site of a delta-lake system with a high […]
![(A) X-ray fluorescence composite map. Red color shows P abundance, green shows Mg abundance, and blue shows Si abundance. White circles outline areas analyzed by ACRONM. White arrows indicate matrix and clasts that contain nanometer-to-micrometer scale phosphate detectable by EDX-TEM only [shown in (B)].](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Inorganic-Interpretation-of-Luminescent.png?resize=1200%2C721&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return, Status Report
Inorganic Interpretation of Luminescent Materials Encountered by the Perseverance Rover on Mars
A major objective of the Mars 2020 mission is to sample rocks in Jezero crater that may preserve organic matter for later return to Earth.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Icy Worlds, Mars, Sample Return, Status Report
Earth to Mars: A Protocol for Characterizing Permafrost in the Context of Climate Change as an Analog for Extraplanetary Exploration
Permafrost is important from an exobiology and climate change perspective. It serves as an analog for extraplanetary exploration, and it threatens to emit globally significant amounts of greenhouse gases as […]
Posted inCaves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Proposed Route: Mars Rover Perseverance Northern Rim Science Campaign
This map was made using data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera as well as the European Space Agency’s (ESA) High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC).
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Status Report
Martian Atmospheric Disturbances From Orbital Images And Surface Pressure At Jezero Crater, Mars, During Martian Year 36
We present a study of atmospheric disturbances at Jezero Crater, Mars, using ground-based measurements of surface pressure by the Perseverance rover in combination with orbital images from the Mars Express […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs
Perseverance Astrobiology Rover Begins The Long Climb Up The Rim Of Jezero Crater
After 2½ years exploring Jezero Crater’s floor and river delta, the rover will ascend to an area where it will search for more discoveries that could rewrite Mars’ history.
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Education and Outreach, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Societal Issues, Status Report
Astrobiology-Themed Imagery On Perseverance Mars Rover’s Mastcam-Z Calibration Target
The primary calibration target for Mastcam-Z, a pair of zoomable cameras aboard NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover, features color swatches used by scientists to fine-tune the cameras’ settings.
Posted inAnalog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release
Ladakh’s Rock Varnish May Help Identify Habitable Environments In Space
Magnetofossils– fossil remains of magnetic particles produced by magnetotactic bacteria have been spotted in rock varnish layers in Ladakh. The study suggesting biotic processes in the formation of rock varnish […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mars, People Of Astrobiology, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report
Abigail Allwood Doing Mars Rover Astrobiology Fieldwork in Greenland
A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave […]