Exploration & Discovery
Four Instruments, One Target: How Perseverance's Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL and SHERLOC Divide the Work of Reading Martian Rock
Perseverance's four key instruments—Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL, and SHERLOC—work in concert, analyzing Martian rocks at progressively finer scales. This multi-scale approach, from panoramic imaging to remote sensing and close-up chemical and organic analysis, enables scientists to identify potentially habitable environments and select promising samples for return to Earth.
Dr. Evelyn Reed·November 8, 2026
