The Perseverance rover has made tremendous strides in furthering our understanding of Mars since its February 2021 landing in Jezero Crater. As NASA’s most advanced rover yet, Perseverance has been utilizing a suite of sophisticated scientific instruments to thoroughly investigate this promising area and help answer outstanding questions about the past potential for life on Mars. Some of the most significant discoveries made by Perseverance so far include:

Discovery of an Ancient River Delta – One of Perseverance’s primary science goals was to search for signs that Jezero Crater once hosted a lake billions of years ago. Within just a couple months of landing, the rover found definitive evidence of an ancient river delta deposit on the floor of Jezero. High-resolution images revealed telltale sediment layers and gravel piles consistent with being laid down by a river flowing into a lake. Isotopic analysis of rocks in the delta supported the interpretation, marking the first time a river delta had been discovered on Mars. This major finding suggests Jezero saw significantly more water than other Martian sites, with implications for preserved organics and potential biosignatures.

Discovery of Carbon-Bearing Rocks – Buried within the sediments of the Jezero river delta, Perseverance has detected multiple outcrops containing surprisingly high amounts of carbon. Using its Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument, the rover identified carbon-rich molecular structures in some of these sedimentary rocks. The carbon is primarily in the form of organics that were likely deposited from ancient biology or atmospheric chemistry. This was an exciting discovery as it provided the first in-situ evidence of carbon preserving in the Jezero rocks, making the area more conducive to potential ancient Martian life.

Discovery of Layered Rocks Resembling Microbial Mats – Some of the most intriguing findings have come from “Snoqualmie Formation” layered rocks at the base of the Jezero delta. High-resolution close-up images showed extremely fine lamination patterns that scientists say resembled the signatures of microbial mats on Earth. If confirmed, these organic-rich microbial mat textures would be the best evidence yet of ancient life existing on the red planet billions of years ago. While still requiring more analysis, this has been one of Perseverance’s prime discoveries in its hunt for biosignatures from the deepest reaches of Martian time.

Discovery of Olivine and Pyroxene Rocks – Perseverance utilized its Mastcam-Z and PIXL instruments to spectroscopically map out the mineralogy of igneous rocks within Jezero Crater. The rover found bedrock exposures containing significant amounts of olivine and pyroxene minerals – indicating their volcanic origins. Isotopic dating of the olivine crystals also provided some of the first firm ages for volcanic activity in Jezero, pegging the timeframe to between 3.5 to 3.8 billion years ago. Understanding the igneous history and corresponding impact chronology is key context for the formation and evolution of the lake environment hypothesized within the crater.

Collection of Organic-Rich Sediment Core Samples – One of Perseverance’s prime duties has been to collect powdered rock and sediment core samples for future return to Earth. While still early in its sampling campaign, the rover has already successfully drilled into multiple targets within the river delta identified as high potential for preserved ancient organics. Analysis on Earth via more sophisticated labs could reveal biomarkers that are difficult to detect with Perseverance’s instruments alone. Having these first samples in the system now sets the stage for future planned sample return missions to bring home what could be the first definitive proof of past Martian life.

These are just some of the most impactful discoveries announced so far from Perseverance’s ongoing exploration of Jezero Crater. As the mission continues collecting samples and investigating promising sites in the years ahead, there is high potential for even more breakthrough findings that could rewrite our understanding of Mars’ biological potential and climate history. The combination of advanced science tools, strategic landing location, and opportunities for future sample return make Perseverance one of NASA’s most promising contributors so far in humanity’s search for life elsewhere in the universe.