--- title: "NASA Mars Rover Found Bedrock That Looks Like Flagstones" description: "After officially kicking off its scientific mission of searching for signs of ancient life on Red Planet, NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover has made its next big discovery: a patch of rock that “is probably exposed bedrock,” according to an update by the rover’s Twitter account.  " date: "2021-07-15" modified: "2021-07-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-mars-rover-bedrock-flagstones" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "mars" - "NASA" - "perseverance" - "the digest" --- # NASA Mars Rover Found Bedrock That Looks Like Flagstones ![NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover has made its next big discovery: a patch of rock that "is probably exposed bedrock," according to an update.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Rock Bottom After [officially kicking off]() its scientific mission of searching for signs of ancient life on Red Planet last month, NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover has made its next big discovery: a [patch of rock]() that's "probably exposed bedrock" and which the team compared to "garden pavers," which are landscaping rocks similar to flagstones. Perseverance has been cruising through the Jezero Crater, an area scientists suspect is an ancient dried up lake bed about 30 miles in diameter, not far from the planet's equator. That also makes it of particular interest to NASA, as scientists believe the area was once flooded with water — and possibly teeming with ancient life. https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/status/1415447720500756487 ## The Jezero Crater We're closer than ever before in filling in the numerous gaps in our knowledge about how the area was formed more than 3.5 billion years ago. At the time, scientists suspect Mars was flush with river channels, some of which splashed over to form a lake in the Jezero crater, according to a NASA [profile of the area](). "Material like this, from the early days of this ancient lakebed, can help capture what that lake was like," the rover's update reads. "Spending a few days investigating…" Some of the rocks present in the Jezero Crater are believed to be as old as 3.6 billion years. Studying them could help answer several questions about what early Mars looked like — and how it has evolved since then. ## Hail Séítah Earlier this month, Perseverance [traveled to a new lookout]() overlooking an area dubbed "Séítah," a vast sandy landscape of layered rock — and potentially bedrock. "It’s an area of dunes with some good science targets in and around it," the rover [tweeted]() at the time. "I'll spy a few from here, doing science from afar, then circle around and keep exploring." Make sure to stay tuned. With the help of its speedy — and much smaller — [helicopter companion](), Perseverance will likely make far more exciting discoveries as it journeys across the Martian landscape. **More on Perseverance:** *[NASA’s Mars Helicopter Sends Back Stunning Color Photos]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()