NASA Releases New Perseverance Rover Self-Portrait from Jezero Crater

NASA released a new self-portrait from the Mars Perseverance rover on May 13, 2026. The image, sent back to the agency this week, offers a sweeping backdrop of the red planet from the farthest west the rover has gone since it landed more than five years ago. The selfie was captured on March 11, 2026, at a location called Lac de Charmes during the rover's deepest push west beyond the crater.

It shows Perseverance training its mast on a rocky outcrop in the foreground after creating a circular abrasion patch, with the western rim of Jezero Crater stretching into the background. During abrading, the rover grinds down a portion of the rock's surface, allowing the science team to analyze what's inside. The science team said in a release that the image was taken at Lac de Charmes.

The Lac de Charmes region represents some of the most scientifically compelling terrain the rover has visited. The image was created with 61 separate photos. Perseverance acquired the selfie using the WATSON camera mounted at the end of its robotic arm.

The WATSON camera made 62 precision movements over approximately one hour to build the composite image. The rover, which landed on Mars on February 18, 2021, is nearing its 1,800th Martian day. It has now taken six selfies.

Perseverance is in its fifth science campaign, known as the Northern Rim Campaign. @ABC reported that NASA's Mars Perseverance rover sent a self-portrait back to the agency this week with a sweeping backdrop of the red planet. The NASA rover perseverance took a selfie during its mission on Mars, capturing the farthest west it has gone since it landed more than five years ago.