NASA’s Perseverance rover has achieved a significant milestone in its mission to explore Mars, uncovering water-rich minerals within a stubborn rock formation dubbed “Kenmore.” This discovery offers compelling evidence of the Red Planet’s watery past and bolsters the ongoing search for signs of ancient microbial life.
On June 3, 2025, Perseverance commenced its analysis of Kenmore, located in the Jezero Crater—a region believed to have once hosted a lake and river delta system. The rover employed its suite of advanced instruments to grind into the rock’s surface, revealing its pristine interior for detailed study. Despite initial challenges, including the rock’s unexpected resistance and fragmentation during abrasion, the team successfully exposed a two-inch-wide patch for examination.
“Kenmore was a weird, uncooperative rock,” remarked Ken Farley, Perseverance’s deputy project scientist at Caltech. “Visually, it looked fine—the sort of rock we could get a good abrasion on and perhaps, if the science was right, perform a sample collection. But during abrasion, it vibrated all over the place and small chunks broke off.”
The analysis revealed the presence of clay minerals containing hydroxide groups bound to iron and magnesium, indicative of historical water activity. Additionally, the rover detected feldspar and, notably, a manganese hydroxide mineral—a first for the mission. These findings suggest that the rock underwent alteration in the presence of water, pointing to a potentially habitable environment in Mars’ distant past.
Perseverance utilized its gaseous Dust Removal Tool (gDRT) to clear debris from the rock’s surface, allowing instruments like SuperCam, SHERLOC, and PIXL to conduct in-depth analyses. SuperCam’s spectroscopic examination confirmed the clay minerals’ composition, while PIXL’s X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy identified the manganese hydroxide. These instruments work in tandem to provide a comprehensive understanding of the rock’s mineralogy and geologic history.
The discovery of water-altered minerals in Kenmore adds to the growing body of evidence that Jezero Crater once harbored liquid water, reinforcing the hypothesis that Mars may have supported microbial life. Clay minerals, in particular, are known to form in the presence of water and can preserve organic compounds, making them prime targets in the search for biosignatures.
This finding marks the 30th rock that Perseverance has subjected to such in-depth scrutiny since its landing in February 2021. Each analysis contributes to a more detailed understanding of Mars’ geological and climatic history, informing future missions and the broader quest to determine the planet’s habitability.
As Perseverance continues its exploration of Jezero Crater, the rover’s discoveries will play a crucial role in selecting samples for potential return to Earth. These samples could provide unprecedented insights into Mars’ past, including the possibility of ancient life.