Perseverance Rover Begins Northern Rim Campaign

NASA's Perseverance rover has successfully ascended the rim of Jezero Crater on Mars, reaching 'Lookout Hill' after a challenging 3.5-month climb covering 1,640 vertical feet (500 meters). This marks the start of the rover's 'Northern Rim' campaign, exploring new geological areas and collecting samples to investigate Mars' history and potential ancient life. The ascent involved navigating tough terrain with innovative techniques like backward driving by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers. Jezero Crater, once an ancient lake, provides a rich field for study, where Perseverance has completed four major science campaigns. As it embarks on this new phase, the rover will visit multiple sites of interest over the next year, driving approximately 4 miles (6.4 kilometers). The mission aims to better understand Mars' past environments and their capacity to support life.