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MARS
2020
Watch the highlights of NASA's Mars 2020 Mission
including...
The launch on a ULA Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 on 30 July 2020
Succesful Landing at the Jezero Crater on Mars on 18 Feb 2021
First Photo back from Perseverance on the surface of Mars
First flight of Ingenuity helicopter 19 April 2021 - The first flight from the surface of another planet
18 Feb 2021
NASA's Perseverance
and Ingenuity touched down on Mars...
And Alex and Vaneeza the teenagers who named them were 'over the moon' about it!
Page regularly updated with latest Martian news
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has sent back its first image(s) from the surface of the Red Planet.
The image(s) come from Perseverance's Hazard Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams), which help with driving. The clear protective covers over these cameras are still on.
18th February 2021 - After a seven-month-long journey NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover has successfully landed at Jezero Crater on the Red Planet to search for signs of ancient life, collect samples for future return to Earth and help pave the way for human exploration.
The rover carried with it several technology demonstrations including a helicopter, Ingenuity, which will attempt humanity's first powered flight on another planet. Perseverance has a new set of science instruments and the ability to “self-drive” on the Martian surface.
Perseverance’s 4 Main Science Objectives
GEOLOGY
Study the rocks and landscape at its landing site to reveal the region’s history
Prepare for Humans: Test technologies that would help sustain human presence on Mars someday
SAMPLE CACHING
Find and collect promising samples of Mars rock and soil that could be brought back to Earth in the future
ASTROBIOLOGY
Test technologies that would help sustain human presence on Mars someday
ASTROBIOLOGY
WATCH THE LAUNCH - ULA
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the Mars 2020 mission with the Perseverance rover for NASA, lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 on July 30 at 7:50 a.m. EDT.
ULA and its heritage rockets have launched every U.S. led mission to Mars, beginning in the 1960s.
The launch of this mission marks ULA’s 20th trip to the red planet and the 85th successful launch of an Atlas V rocket.
The Atlas V has previously launched four missions to Mars, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2005, the Curiosity rover in 2011, the MAVEN orbiter in 2013 and the InSight lander in 2018.
To prepare the Perseverance rover for its date with Mars, NASA’s Mars 2020 mission team conducted a wide array of tests to help ensure a successful entry, descent and landing at the Red Planet.
From parachute verification in the world’s largest wind tunnel, to hazard avoidance practice in Death Valley, California, to wheel drop testing at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and much more, every system was put through its paces to get ready for the big day.
The Perseverance rover is scheduled to land on Mars on February 18, 2021.
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