Overview
- Named Phippsaksla, the 80-centimetre rock was flagged for study after its sculpted, high-standing form contrasted with nearby flat bedrock in the Vernodden area.
- SuperCam laser measurements found an exceptionally high iron and nickel content, a composition rarely seen in Jezero Crater to date.
- NASA’s Candice Bedford noted the element mix is typical of iron–nickel meteorites that form in asteroid cores, pointing to a potential off-world origin.
- Perseverance has not previously documented iron–nickel meteorites in Jezero, unlike other rovers that have identified such finds in Gale Crater and elsewhere on Mars.
- The mission team cautions the classification remains unconfirmed and plans additional remote analyses before declaring the rock a meteorite.