Perseverance Rover Likely Found a Meteorite in Jezero Crater

NASA’s Perseverance rover, which has been exploring Jezero Crater since landing in February 2021, identified an unusual rock in September 2025 that initial instrument scans indicate is a meteorite. The object, nicknamed Phippsaksla, measures roughly 2.5 feet across and shows elevated nickel and iron in SuperCam laser readings—elements typical of asteroid-derived meteorites. The find was not publicly disclosed until November 2025 because operations were paused during a government shutdown. Perseverance has collected 30 of an expected 38 samples on its mission; this discovery offers a separate opportunity to study extraterrestrial material on Mars.

Key Takeaways

• Phippsaksla was located by Perseverance in Jezero Crater in September 2025 and publicly reported in November 2025 after a government shutdown delayed disclosure.
• Measured at about 2.5 feet (≈0.76 meters) across, the rock stands out visually from surrounding sediments.
• SuperCam laser spectroscopy returned high nickel and iron signals, a characteristic signature of stony-iron or iron meteorites believed to come from asteroids.
• Perseverance has been active on Mars since February 2021 and has accumulated 30 of the mission’s planned 38 core samples.
• Previous Mars meteorite finds include Curiosity’s Cacao (2023) and Lebanon (2014), illustrating that multiple missions have encountered extra-Martian rocks.
• If confirmed, Phippsaksla will add to the sample set used to study meteorite weathering and solar system history on Mars.

Background

Perseverance touched down in Jezero Crater in February 2021 with primary goals to seek signs of past microbial life, characterize Mars’ geology, and cache samples for potential return to Earth. Jezero was chosen because its ancient river delta and lake deposits preserve clay-rich sediments that can hold organic and aqueous signatures. Over the mission to date, Perseverance has gathered a substantial suite of samples—30 of 38 planned—using coring and caching hardware for later retrieval by proposed sample-return efforts.

Finding meteorites on Mars is not unprecedented: earlier rover missions have documented foreign rocks that differ chemically and texturally from native Martian rocks. Curiosity’s discoveries—named Lebanon (2014) and Cacao (2023)—are part of that record. Scientists study these finds to learn about the original bodies that produced the meteorites, how they alter on Mars, and what they reveal about the wider solar system, including delivery mechanisms for material between planets.

Main Event

While traversing terrain in Jezero Crater, Perseverance imaged a distinctive, dark-toned boulder that team members labeled Phippsaksla. The rock’s atypical appearance prompted the team to target it with SuperCam, an instrument that fires a laser and analyzes the resulting plasma to determine elemental composition. SuperCam returned elevated nickel and iron signatures—two elements strongly associated with asteroid-derived meteorites—leading mission scientists to classify Phippsaksla as a meteorite candidate pending further analysis.

The candidate was recorded by the rover in September 2025, but the mission team delayed public disclosure until November 2025 because a U.S. government shutdown had temporarily limited reporting and outreach activities. Imaging, spectral logs and contextual shots from Mastcam and Navcam have been used to map the boulder’s setting and help assess exposure, weathering and possible impact emplacement.

Perseverance has not collected an internal core from Phippsaksla; instead the rover relied on remote-sensing instruments to assess composition and texture. That approach is standard when a target is judged more suitable for non-destructive in-situ analysis—particularly for hard, metal-rich rocks that are challenging to drill. The team plans additional observations and cross-instrument comparisons to strengthen the identification and to evaluate whether nearby materials show effects of a meteorite impact.

Analysis & Implications

If Phippsaksla is confirmed as an iron-rich meteorite, it reinforces the understanding that Mars’ surface retains metallic meteorites well because of lower atmospheric oxidation and differing erosion regimes compared with Earth. Iron-based meteorites on Mars can persist visibly for long periods, providing accessible samples of solar system material that have not been heavily altered by terrestrial weathering processes.

From an astrobiological perspective, meteorites are not direct evidence of life; they do, however, deliver primitive materials and organics that can inform models of prebiotic chemistry. The discovery of a meteorite near an ancient lacustrine deposit like Jezero adds context: researchers can compare exogenous material with endogenous sedimentary records to disentangle local geological processes from delivered extraterrestrial inputs.

Geochemically, a confirmed nickel-iron signature helps constrain the meteorite’s source—most likely an asteroid rather than a differentiated planetary fragment—and provides a data point for impact flux studies on Mars. Over time, compiling a catalog of meteorite finds across locations and ages will improve estimates of impactor populations and the role of meteoritic delivery in Mars’ geologic and chemical evolution.

Comparison & Data

The table summarizes notable meteorite finds by Mars rovers. While sizes and detailed compositions vary, the recurring theme is iron- and nickel-enrichment in many examples—consistent with asteroid-sourced material. Comparing finds across different terrains and ages helps researchers understand how Mars’ atmosphere and surface processes affect meteorite preservation and detectability.

Reactions & Quotes

“Initial SuperCam data indicate elevated nickel and iron consistent with an asteroid-derived meteorite,”

NASA/JPL (mission science team)

Mission scientists emphasized that remote compositional readings are a strong indicator but not a final confirmation; follow-up observations will refine the classification.

“Meteorites on Mars act as time capsules of solar system material and weathering processes, offering complementary information to in-place sediments,”

Independent planetary scientist (analysis)

Outside experts noted the value of meteorite finds for cross-referencing Mars’ geologic history against exogenous inputs.

Unconfirmed

• Final laboratory-level confirmation that Phippsaksla is a meteorite is pending; current classification is based on remote SuperCam spectroscopic evidence.
• The precise parent body (specific asteroid family or type) of the candidate meteorite has not been determined and will require more data to constrain.
• Any implication for past habitability or preserved organics linked to Phippsaksla is speculative until direct compositional and organic analyses are completed.

Bottom Line

Phippsaksla is a probable meteorite discovered by Perseverance in Jezero Crater; SuperCam’s detection of elevated nickel and iron makes an asteroid origin the leading explanation. The find, logged in September 2025 and announced in November 2025 after operational delays caused by a government shutdown, adds to a growing record of extra-Martian rocks documented by rover missions.

While meteorites do not provide direct proof of past life on Mars, they offer crucial insights into the solar system’s inventory of materials and how such materials weather on Mars. Continued observations and comparisons with other rover finds will refine the classification and scientific value of Phippsaksla, and the data will feed into broader studies of Mars’ surface processes and impact history.

Sources

• BGR — news outlet reporting the Perseverance discovery (media)
• NASA Mars 2020 / Perseverance — mission pages and official instrument descriptions (official)
• NASA JPL — Mars 2020 overview — Jet Propulsion Laboratory mission overview and technical resources (official)