The selfie shows Perseverance training its mast on the 'Arethusa' rocky outcrop after creating a whitish circular abrasion patch. The western rim of Jezero Crater is visible in the background. According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, WATSON is part of the SHERLOC instrument and was built by Malin Space Science Systems.
JPL built and manages operations of the rover. Perseverance is in its fifth campaign, known as the Northern Rim Campaign, according to multiple reports. The 'Lac de Charmes' region represents some of the most challenging and scientifically rewarding terrain the rover has visited, reports say.
We took this image when the rover was in the 'Wild West' beyond the Jezero Crater rim — the farthest west we have been since we landed at Jezero a little over five years ago. We had just abraded and analysed the 'Arethusa' outcrop, and the rover was sitting in a spot that provided a great view of both the Jezero Rim and the local terrain outside of the crater.
Katie Stack Morgan, Perseverance project scientist at JPL, said in a press conference: "We took this image when the rover was in the 'Wild West' beyond the Jezero Crater rim — the farthest west we have been since we landed at Jezero a little over five years ago. " NASA's first human landing on Mars is planned for the mid-2030s, according to multiple reports. The Artemis II mission completed a 695,081-mile trip around the Moon and carried astronauts deeper into space than humans have ever traveled before, reports say.
The Artemis II capsule had a malfunctioning toilet but otherwise performed well, according to reports. Artemis III and IV lunar landing missions will test life support systems, spacesuits, and surface habitats required for Mars, reports say. China's National Space Administration and Elon Musk's SpaceX have announced separate Mars missions, according to multiple reports.