NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted a 31-inch iron-nickel boulder named Phippsaksla in Jezero Crater.
NASA's Perseverance mission spotted a possible large meteorite, called Phippsaksla, in September 2025.
Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU
The Perseverance rover of NASA could have identified its first meteorite, a rock boulder that was named Phippsaksla. It was in September 2025 in the Jezero Crater that the 31-inch rock was discovered. The Mastcam-Z camera of Perseverance observed that Phippsaksla was an odd-looking sculpted being, and the SuperCam instrument of the rover detected a high iron-and-nickel target. This is because space rocks contain these metals, and so this boulder could have been formed in other parts of the solar system.
According to NASA, researchers first encountered Phippsaksla during exploration of Jezero Crater in September 2025. The team noted its pitted, coral-like surface that stood out from the flatter rocks around it. SuperCam analysis confirmed the rock was rich in iron and nickel. Such a metal-rich composition is unusual for native Martian rocks but is typical of meteorites that break off asteroid cores. If Phippsaksla is indeed a meteorite, it would be the first one confirmed by this rover.
Meteorites have been common with other Mars rovers. In Gale Crater, Curiosity discovered a variety of iron-nickel meteorites, one of them being a 39-inch (Lebanon) in 2014 and another being a smaller rock named Cacao in 2023.
Even the previous rovers Spirit and Opportunity, have found several iron-nickel meteorites. These discoveries indicate that there are meteorites which get to Mars. In the meantime, Perseverance is officially on the primary mission of searching for evidence of ancient life and samples of life to be brought back to Earth. Scientists will go on with the research of Phippsaksla to ascertain whether it is an alien meteorite.
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