Perseverance Inches Toward Martian Marathon as Old Rocks Come Into View

NASA’s Perseverance rover is nearing a 42.195-kilometer milestone on Mars, having traversed the Jezero Crater region for five years. It’s studying ancient rocks at Lac de Charmes, including the Arathusa outcrop, to uncover some of the planet’s oldest geology, such as megabreccia from a ~3.9-billion-year-old Isidis Planitia impact and possible volcanic features, with plans to push toward Gardevarri and Singing Canyon as the mission continues its ultramarathon-style exploration.