NASA's Perseverance Rover: Its Path to Finding Organics on Mars

Perseverance’s life-hunting kickoff

Perseverance truly started its investigation of ancient Martian rock three months into its stay on Mars. The holdup? The Ingenuity helicopter, which stowed away on Perseverance for the trip to Mars, was given the first couple of months to get off the ground. In April 2021, Ingenuity took off and landed, becoming the first to achieve a powered, controlled flight on another planet.

So in May 2021, Perseverance was finally able to embark on its scientific campaign beyond the odd photo of a rock here and there.

The tiny grains are embedded inside pebbles found outside the rim of Jezero Crater.

Space & Spaceflight Passant Rabie Mar 31

It's goodbye to Lunar Gateway and hello to Moon base.

Space & Spaceflight Passant Rabie Mar 25

A new study adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests asteroid impacts played a critical role in the emergence of life on our planet.

Space & Spaceflight Ellyn Lapointe Mar 16

A new study investigated how the biggest solar storm in more than two decades impacted the Red Planet.

Space & Spaceflight Ellyn Lapointe Mar 5

The microbes "proved very hard to kill."

Space & Spaceflight Gayoung Lee Mar 3

Tardigrades are practically invincible on Earth, so scientists looked to outer space in search of their kryptonite.

Space & Spaceflight Gayoung Lee Mar 2