Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Lithochemistry

NASA's Perseverance rover sampled an unusual Mars rock called Bunsen Peak. It is rich in carbonate and silica and likely came from an ancient lakeshore beach. The post Did this Mars rock once lie along an ancient lakeshore? first appeared on EarthSky.

A Martian rock sample collected by Perseverance contains "chemical signatures and structures" that could've been formed by ancient microbial life from...

A vein-filled rock is catching the eye of the science team of NASA's Perseverance rover. Nicknamed "Cheyava Falls" by the team, the arrowhead-shaped rock contains fascinating traits that may bear on the question of whether Mars was home to microscopic life in the distant past.

Engineers are working to stabilize a dust cover on one of the science instrument's cameras.

Extreme cold is merciless on machinery. Fluids thicken to useless goo. Rubber seals stiffen and crack.

The Mars rover found that Jezero Crater's floor is made up of volcanic rocks that have interacted with water. NASA scientists got a big surprise when the Perseverance Mars rover began analyzing rocks on the floor of Jezero Crater in the spring of 2021: They had expected to find sedimentary rock bec

At Pico Turquino, a bedrock mesa on the Jezero crater rim, the science and engineering teams planned proximity science on Percy's 30th abrasion patch, Rio Chiquito. SCAM and ZCAM characterized the rock near the abrasion, while SHERLOC and PIXL instruments were deployed for proximity science. The data from Rio Chiquito will help characterize the Pico […]

NASA's Perseverance rover found strange green spots in Martian rock, potentially indicating a past interaction with liquid water.

The Perseverance rover has found evidence in a leopard-spotted rock that could suggest microbial life once existed on Mars billions of years ago, NASA said.

The six-wheeled geologist found a fascinating rock that has some indications it may have hosted microbial life billions of years ago, but further research is

NASA's next trip to the moon will explore its south pole, an area that gets even colder than Mars. So scientists need a robotic arm system that can function in temperatures as low as minus 280 F.

Hidden in the minerals and textures that make up rocks are clues about how and when they formed and were later altered. These changes can occur due to the presence of water-rich fluids and may also be influenced by biological processes. We are planetary petrologists (rock scientists) and partici...

The Mars 2020 Science Team meets in Pasadena for 3 days of science synthesis

NASA's Perseverance rover found water, organics, and chemical energy in a Martian rock, hinting at possible ancient microbial life.

NASA's Perseverance rover is taking the first steps toward autonomous science investigation on Mars.

NASA engineers are working to close one of two dust covers, stuck open on a camera aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, to help scientists resume collecting crucial data on the Red Planet.

Now at 1,000 days on Mars, the mission has traversed an ancient river and lake system, collecting valuable samples along the way.

After completing the first sample depot on another world, the rover continues its hunt for Mars rocks worthy of study on Earth.

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has made what could be its most astonishing discovery to date: possible signs of ancient life on the Red Planet.

Some scientists dream of exploring planets with "smart" spacecraft that know exactly what data to look for, where to find it, and how to analyze it. Although making that dream a reality will take time, advances made with NASA's Perseverance Mars rover offer promising steps in that direction.