NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has started off on its most ambitious ascent yet — up the rim of Jezero Crater.
Kicking off a new phase of exploration, Perseverance began its trek up the western rim of this crater on Aug. 19, marking the rover's fifth science campaign, called the Crater Rim Campaign. The climb is expected to be steep and challenging, with an approximate 1,000-foot elevation gain by the time Perseverance summits the crater, which is believed to have once harbored a huge lake and a river delta.
