{"id":71391,"date":"2021-03-11T17:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T21:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-468984"},"modified":"2023-09-19T19:46:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T23:46:43","slug":"nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-mission-honors-navajo-language","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/jpl\/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-mission-honors-navajo-language\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars Rover Mission Honors Navajo Language"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"781\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Canyon de Chelly National Monument\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?resize=1024,768 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?resize=900,675 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Canyon de Chelly National Monument (\u201cTs\u00e9yi\u2019\u201d in Navajo) in Arizona is located on Navajo Nation land. Members of NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover team, in collaboration with the Navajo Nation, has been naming features of scientific interest with words in the Navajo language. <strong>Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The first scientific focus of NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover is a rock named \u201cM\u00e1az\u201d \u2013 the Navajo word for \u201cMars.\u201d The rover\u2019s team, in collaboration with the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President, has been naming features of scientific interest with words in the Navajo language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Surface missions assign nicknames to landmarks to provide the mission\u2019s team members, which number in the thousands, a common way to refer to rocks, soils, and other geologic features of interest. Previous rover teams have named features after regions of geologic interest on Earth as well as people and places related to expeditions. Although the International Astronomical Union designates official names for planetary features, these informal names are used as reference points by the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before launch, Perseverance\u2019s team divided the Jezero Crater landing site into a grid of quadrangles, or \u201cquads,\u201d that are roughly 1 square mile (2.6 square kilometers) in size. The team decided to name these quads after national parks and preserves on Earth with similar geology. Perseverance touched down in the quad named for Arizona\u2019s Canyon de Chelly National Monument (Ts\u00e9yi\u2019 in Navajo), in the heart of the Navajo Nation. The team\u2019s plan was to compile a list of names inspired by each quad\u2019s national park that could be used to name features observed by Perseverance. Mission scientists worked with a Navajo (or Din\u00e9) engineer on the team, Aaron Yazzie of NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, to seek the Navajo Nation\u2019s permission and collaboration in naming new features on Mars.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1041\" height=\"780\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg?w=1041\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"This rock, called \u201cM\u00e1az\u201d (the Navajo word for \u201cMars\u201d)\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg 1041w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg?resize=768,575 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg?resize=1024,767 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2-a-rock-named-maaz-1041.jpg?resize=900,674 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1041px) 100vw, 1041px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">This rock, called \u201cM\u00e1az\u201d (the Navajo word for \u201cMars\u201d), is the first feature of scientific interest to be studied by NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars rover. <strong>Credits: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Vice President Myron Lizer, and their advisors made a list of words in the Navajo language available to the rover\u2019s team. Some terms were inspired by the terrain imaged by Perseverance at its landing site. For example, one suggestion was \u201cts\u00e9w\u00f3z\u00ed bee hazhmeezh,\u201d or \u201crolling rows of pebbles, like waves.\u201d Yazzie added suggestions like \u201cstrength\u201d (\u201cbidziil\u201d) and \u201crespect\u201d (\u201cho\u0142 nil\u012f\u0301\u201d) to the list. Perseverance itself was translated to \u201cHa\u2019ah\u00f3ni.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe partnership that the Nez-Lizer Administration has built with NASA will help to revitalize our Navajo language,\u201d said Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. \u201cWe hope that having our language used in the Perseverance mission will inspire more of our young Navajo people to understand the importance and the significance of learning our language. Our words were used to help win World War II, and now we are helping to navigate and learn more about the planet Mars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Perseverance team has a list of 50 names to start with. The team will work with the Navajo Nation on more names in the future as the rover continues to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis fateful landing on Mars has created a special opportunity to inspire Navajo youth not just through amazing scientific and engineering feats, but also through the inclusion of our language in such a meaningful way,\u201d Yazzie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, for Perseverance to recognize landmarks that have been labeled in Navajo, it has to be \u201ctaught\u201d the language. The accent marks used in the English alphabet to convey the unique intonation of the Navajo language cannot be read by the computer languages Perseverance uses. Yazzie noted that while they work hard to come up with translations that best resemble Navajo spellings, the team will use English letters without special characters or punctuation to represent Navajo words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are very proud of one of our very own, Aaron Yazzie, who is playing a vital role in NASA\u2019s Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission,\u201d President Nez said. \u201cWe are excited for the NASA team and for Aaron and we see him as being a great role model who will inspire more interest in the STEM fields of study and hopefully inspire more of our young people to pursue STEM careers to make even greater impacts and contributions just as Aaron is doing. As the mission continues, we offer our prayers for continued success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scientists on the team have embraced the opportunity to learn Navajo words and their meaning, said Perseverance Deputy Project Scientist Katie Stack Morgan of JPL. \u201cThis partnership is encouraging the rover\u2019s science team to be more thoughtful about the names being considered for features on Mars \u2013 what they mean both geologically and to people on Earth,\u201d Stack Morgan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More About the Mission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A key objective for Perseverance\u2019s mission on Mars is <a href=\"https:\/\/astrobiology.nasa.gov\/\" rel=\"noopener\">astrobiology<\/a>, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet\u2019s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA\u2019s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/specials\/artemis\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis<\/a> missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more about Perseverance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>mars.nasa.gov\/mars2020<\/strong>\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nasa.gov\/perseverance\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>nasa.gov\/perseverance<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Andrew Good<br><\/strong>Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br>818-393-2433<br><a href=\"mailto:andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov\">andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alana Johnson \/ Grey Hautaluoma<br><\/strong>NASA Headquarters, Washington<br>202-672-4780 \/ 202-358-0668<br><a href=\"mailto:alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov\">alana.r.johnson@nasa.gov<\/a> \/ <a href=\"mailto:grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov\">grey.hautaluoma-1@nasa.gov<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2021-054 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first scientific focus of NASA\u2019s Perseverance rover is a rock named \u201cM\u00e1az\u201d \u2013 the Navajo word for \u201cMars.\u201d The rover\u2019s team, in collaboration with the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President, has been naming features of scientific interest with words in the Navajo language. Surface missions assign nicknames to landmarks to [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":75968,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2860,3229,2744,8609],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[8605,8612],"coauthors":[12651],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars Rover Mission Honors Navajo Language","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/jpl\/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-mission-honors-navajo-language\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/jpl\/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-mission-honors-navajo-language\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jet Propulsion Laboratory"}],"creator":["Jet Propulsion Laboratory"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Mars 2020","Perseverance (Rover)","Jet Propulsion Laboratory","Mars"],"dateCreated":"2021-03-11T21:32:00Z","datePublished":"2021-03-11T21:32:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-19T23:46:43Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA\u2019s Perseverance Mars Rover Mission Honors Navajo Language\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/jpl\/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-mission-honors-navajo-language\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-03-11T21:32:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Mars 2020,Perseverance (Rover),Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Mars\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jet Propulsion Laboratory\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":5,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":75968,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041.jpg","title":"1-canyon-de-chelly-national-monument-1041","alt":"Canyon de Chelly National Monument","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71391"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71391"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71391\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":511989,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71391\/revisions\/511989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71391"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=71391"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=71391"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=71391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}