Perseverance finds Mars dust small enough to enter astronauts' bloodstreams
First on-site measurements of fine and ultrafine particles could shape spacesuit design and crew health standards
NASA's Perseverance rover has measured Martian dust particles clinging to spacesuit material samples it carries, including grains small enough to penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. The findings, collected over 1,645 Martian days and published Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could inform spacesuit and habitat design, dust-removal procedures and crew health standards for future NASA missions to Mars.