Rolling Into Mars’ Past
NASA’s Perseverance rover has reached Krokodillen, a rocky plateau on Jezero Crater’s rim, where some of Mars’ oldest rocks await. Named after a Norwegian ridge, this 73-acre site formed billions of years ago during the Noachian period. Scientists are eager to study its ancient bedrock, hoping to uncover clues about Mars’ early days and the possibility of past life.
On May 13, 2025, the rover’s navigation camera snapped its tracks leading from Witch Hazel Hill to this new terrain. Krokodillen sits at a geologic crossroads between the crater’s rim and the plains beyond, making it a prime spot to explore the planet’s deep history. For the team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this moment feels like opening a time capsule.
The Promise of Krokodillen
Krokodillen’s appeal stems from its clay-rich rocks, spotted during an early survey. Clays need liquid water to form, hinting that this region once had rivers or lakes. Such conditions could have supported life, and the clays might preserve organic compounds, the raw materials of biology. Finding these would suggest Mars was once far more hospitable than it is now.
Orbital scans also point to olivine and carbonate minerals nearby. On Earth, carbonates often trap traces of ancient microbes or climate data, and their presence here could tell a similar story. Ken Farley, a deputy project scientist, explains that any biosignatures in these rocks would likely date back to a time before Jezero Crater existed, offering a window into Mars’ earliest chapters.
These rocks do more than hint at life. They could reveal how Mars transformed from a wet, warm world into the cold desert we see today. Every sample Perseverance collects helps piece together this story, shedding light on the planet’s evolution and its parallels with Earth.
A Flexible Approach to Sampling
Perseverance now collects samples with a twist: some tubes stay unsealed, allowing the team to replace less promising cores with better ones later. This strategy, tested to ensure sample quality, gives the mission room to chase the most valuable rocks for future Earth-based analysis.
The rover carries 26 rock cores, 25 sealed, plus regolith, atmospheric, and witness samples. Its newest core, from a rock named Bell Island, sits unsealed, ready to be swapped if Krokodillen delivers a standout find. Katie Stack Morgan, acting project scientist, says each sample holds a unique tale, and this approach ensures the mission captures the most compelling ones.
Science in a Crowded Budget
Perseverance’s work unfolds against NASA’s $25.4 billion 2025 budget, which juggles planetary missions, Earth science, and human exploration. Some leaders push to funnel funds toward crewed missions, favoring partnerships with private companies to cut costs. Others defend robotic missions like this one, citing their role in sparking innovation and informing climate research.
Globally, Mars exploration blends cooperation with competition. The U.S. drives efforts like Perseverance, while China plans a sample return by 2028, and nations like India and Japan advance lunar and Martian projects. This mix of shared goals and rivalries fuels progress in understanding our solar system.
The Ethics of Seeking Life
Looking for life on Mars sparks big questions. If biosignatures turn up, how do we avoid harming potential ecosystems? The Committee on Space Research sets strict rules, but debates continue over weighing discovery against caution. Scholars also explore how finding life might shift cultural or religious views, urging policies to guide our response.
NASA enjoys broad public backing, with surveys showing strong support across political lines. Still, the prospect of finding even microbial life carries weight, raising issues that ripple beyond science into how we see our place in the universe.
The Road Forward
As Perseverance drills into Krokodillen’s Copper Cove, scientists await results that could reshape our view of Mars. Each core sample is a gamble, preserved for future labs that might detect ancient life or environmental shifts.
The mission relies on cutting-edge tech, from AI navigation to tiny labs, and on global teamwork to sustain bold goals. Krokodillen is one stop in a larger journey, pushing humanity closer to answering age-old questions about the cosmos.
For now, Perseverance keeps moving, its wheels etching trails across Mars’ ancient ground. What it uncovers next might solve mysteries we’ve long pondered or spark new ones we can’t yet foresee.