NASA’s Perseverance rover measured fine and ultrafine Martian dust clinging to small samples of spacesuit materials carried aboard the rover, the agency reported in a paper to be published on Oct. 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Over 1,645 Martian days, instruments PIXL and SHERLOC examined tiny swatches of Teflon, Vectran and basaltic glass used as calibration targets and found particles that averaged about 2 micrometers and others down to roughly 100–300 nanometers.
The dust is chemically similar to previous Mars measurements—rich in iron and sulfur, with extra silica and signs of phosphorus and calcium sulfate—and contains reactive compounds such as perchlorates. NASA says the results could inform spacesuit and habitat material choices, dust-removal strategies, and exposure limits for future crewed Mars missions.
