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NASA’s Perseverance rover has spent 2026 exploring Lac de Charmes, a region west of Jezero crater with some of the oldest rocks it has encountered. The rover has made 13 abrasion patches and is now examining unusual light-toned boulders near Idubi after a hard boulder could not be sampled.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has spent 2026 surveying the Lac de Charmes region west of Jezero crater, examining rocks that may preserve evidence of Mars’ earliest history. In an update dated Sept. 28, NASA said the rover made 13 abrasion patches and has moved toward a cluster of unusual boulders near an area called Idubi, where scientists are seeking a rock they can successfully sample.
The rover has followed a looping route among outcrops in Lac de Charmes, a landscape of valleys and ridges described by the mission team as a “wild west frontier.” NASA says the exposed rocks are among the oldest Perseverance has encountered. They predate the sedimentary rocks within Jezero crater that formed in rivers and lakes, and may help scientists investigate the early development of Mars and other rocky planets.
Scientists made 13 abrasion patches on rocks selected for closer examination. NASA’s update says initial investigations indicate that many of the rocks appear to have formed from cooled lava or magma, while others may have formed after a major impact. Some show evidence associated with both processes. The team chose to survey the terrain before deciding which rocks to collect, so the update does not identify any Lac de Charmes sample as selected or collected.
More recently, Perseverance drove toward Idubi, where hundreds of light-toned boulders had been seen from a distance. One boulder’s abrasion patch, named Badger Peak, exposed a striking light-and-dark texture unlike those previously seen by the rover, according to NASA. An attempt to collect a sample failed because the boulder was too hard. The rover is now searching for a similar rock and examining a nearby outcrop called Gardenia.
Ancient Rocks Could Broaden Mars History
Lac de Charmes offers Perseverance a chance to study material formed before the river and lake deposits that drew attention to Jezero crater. If the team can determine how these older rocks formed, they may add evidence about the conditions and events that shaped early Mars. NASA says the findings could also inform broader questions about how rocky planets evolved during the early solar system.
The Idubi investigation shows both the scientific value and practical limits of rover work. Badger Peak’s unusual texture drew the team’s attention, but its hardness prevented sampling. A close-up look can provide observations, while a collected sample could allow more detailed analysis if the rover finds a suitable rock and the team selects it. The update does not report that such a sample has yet been obtained.
From Jezero Deposits to Older Terrain
Perseverance is exploring Jezero crater and its surroundings as part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. Rocks inside Jezero include sedimentary material associated with ancient rivers and lakes. Lac de Charmes lies west of the crater rim, and its rocks represent a different, older part of the local geological record, according to the NASA report.
The mission team’s update also describes a new driving algorithm that makes use of a processor originally used to communicate with the Ingenuity helicopter. NASA says the algorithm has enabled longer and more accurate drives. The article does not provide quantitative comparisons for the improvement.
The report, written by Purdue University doctoral candidate Athanasios (Thanos) Klidaras, marks the return of regular updates to the Perseverance rover updates page after a long pause. It summarizes exploration during 2026 and identifies Lac de Charmes as a region the rover is nearing the end of surveying.
Sample Targets Remain Undecided
NASA’s update does not report the exact ages or full compositions of the rocks examined at Lac de Charmes, or confirm the origins suggested by the initial investigations. The descriptions of igneous rocks, impactites and rocks with evidence for both processes remain preliminary interpretations in the report.
It is also unclear whether Perseverance will find a Badger Peak-like boulder that is suitable for sampling, what analysis the Gardenia abrasion will reveal, or which rocks the team will ultimately select. The update gives no date for the rover’s departure from Lac de Charmes or for a future sampling attempt.
Gardenia Abrasion and Rover Route
NASA said the rover was expected to make an abrasion on the Gardenia outcrop during the week of Sept. 21 so scientists could inspect its material more closely. The team is also searching near Idubi for a similar light-toned boulder that Perseverance may be able to sample. The report does not state whether either activity has since produced results.
The mission team says exploration of Lac de Charmes is nearing its end and expects the rover to move onward after its work there. NASA’s article does not give a timetable for that move; further rover updates are expected to report the findings and the next route.
Key Questions
Where is Perseverance exploring?
The rover has been surveying Lac de Charmes, an area of valleys and ridges west of the Jezero crater rim, and has recently investigated boulders near Idubi.
Why are the Lac de Charmes rocks of interest?
NASA says they are among the oldest rocks Perseverance has encountered. Studying them may help scientists examine early Mars, before the sedimentary deposits associated with Jezero’s ancient rivers and lakes formed.
Did Perseverance collect the Badger Peak boulder?
No. NASA reported that an attempt to sample the boulder failed because it was too hard. The team is looking for a similar rock that may be suitable for sampling.
What is the Gardenia outcrop?
Gardenia is an outcrop near Idubi that NASA says could be a breccia, a rock made up of fragments of older rocks. The rover was due to make an abrasion there for closer examination.
Source: primary
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