Imagine traveling for 290 MILLION miles. That’s how far NASA’s Perseverance rover has had to travel since its launch on July 30, 2020. Now, seven months later, it’s finally close to its destination: Mars.
Atlas V rocket launches with Perseverance rover on board. NASA/Joel Kowsky
On February 18, 2021, you’ll be able to watch Perseverance make its historic landing on Mars. The rover’s final dissent will take only seven nail-biting minutes. But that moment took seven and a half years of planning and decades of research.
“Perseverance will be NASA’s ninth lander on Mars,” explained former NASA astronaut (and Science Mill board member) Col. Tom Henricks. “It will land in an ancient lakebed and search for fossilized microbial life. Perseverance may find proof that life existed on Mars!”
Perseverance has a ground-breaking job to do—literally: drilling into the Martian rock to collect samples that can be studied back on Earth. Scientists will examine the samples for traces of ancient microorganism (aka early life). It will be our first round-trip research mission from Mars! But we’ll have to be patient. Perseverance will leave the samples behind for future missions to pick up, hopefully in the next decade.
That’s why where Perseverance lands is so crucial. Its target is the Jezero Crater. There, scientists have spotted signs of an ancient river delta, a bit like where the Mississippi River reaches the Gulf of Mexico. The crater likely held a lake that connected to the river network. Areas like this on Earth are especially good at preserving microbes and organic materials, as layers of mud and silt become sedimentary rock over time. Scientists hope the same is true on Mars. Out of the 60+ sites considered for landing, Jezero’s unique terrain looks like the best bet for finding traces of what ancient Mars was like.
Perseverance is programmed with detailed photos of Jezero’s landscape and the landing target. As it descends, Perseverance’s cameras will take pictures of the ground below and match them against the target photos, to make sure it’s headed for the right spot.
This illustration shows what will happen in the final minutes of Perseverance’s descent to Mars. NASA/JPL-Caltech
These cameras are among the many science instruments packed into the car-sized rover. Perseverance is equipped with:
23 cameras, including seven for entry, descent and landing…
…and the Mastcam-Z, its “eyes”, which can take video, wide-angle and 3D photos
microphones, letting us experience hearing on Mars for the first time
a small helicopter, to test whether we can operate a drone on another planet
sensors to measure wind speed, air pressure, temperature and other weather changes
a rocket launch test device that will turn carbon dioxide into oxygen
the SuperCam, which uses laser zaps to study the chemistry of rocks
a powerful but tiny X-ray instrument that can detect different elements and map rocks
a ground-penetrating radar to study layers of Martian rock
three robots that work together to drill, transfer and seal those important rock samples
Some of the scientific instruments on board the Perseverance rover. / NASA
If all goes well, Perseverance’s mission will last for one Mars year (about 687 Earth days). All the data it collects will help us better prepare for future missions, including the ultimate goal of putting humans on Mars in the next decade, as Col. Henricks described:
“I’m so excited about NASA’s Perseverance mission because it is another important step toward the human exploration of Mars. One of the experiments will determine if the carbon dioxide on Mars can be turned into oxygen for astronauts to breathe and for fuel. Such a discovery is critical to understanding how people can visit Mars. Perseverance is part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. Mars 2020 and the Artemis mission to land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 are historic challenges. Dream big, you may visit the Moon or Mars!”
MORE TO EXPLORE
On the Explorer Zone, hear about Col. Tom Henrick's four space shuttle missions and find even more games, activities and videos about space exploration.
Upcoming programs at the Science Mill:
Homeschool Days: Careers in Space Science, March 5 & March 24
All students are invited to join for a day of hands-on science all about space!
Exclusive talks from the Science Mill’s Future of Science series:
Former astronaut Col. Tom Henricks on tourism in space
Hunt for galactic fossils with Dr. Keith Hawkins
Additional resources & virtual programs:
Perseverance program with Mars scientists Dr. Candice Bedford, Feb. 13, 3pm CT
For children ages 7-13; advance registration required at link above
Watch the NASA TV broadcast of Perseverance’s landing on Feb. 18
Send your name to Mars & other ways to get involved
Try driving Perseverance in an online game
NASA’s Mars Exploration program
Meet the kid who named Perseverance
Mary, our Assistant Director of Education, helped judge the naming contest!
High School Girls Only STEM Night & Astronaut Convocation, March 4, 4-7pm CT
Grades 9-12; advance registration required: tinyurl.com/1tngt1yg
Explore Mars! A Rover Game
Each player in this cooperative board game has a different role at Mission Control. Work together to program the rover, collect four samples and send the data back to Earth. Careful: the rough terrain could end your mission!
Ages 7 to adult + early learner version
2-5 players or adapt for classrooms, camps, etc.
Game takes about 30 min.
English & Spanish versions
Tip: Adults, read the Facilitator’s Guide first to preview how the game is played
Download instructions & print the gameboard here
STEM Career Connections:
The Explore Mars! game is based on the real science and teamwork of NASA’s rover program. The Perseverance team includes over a thousand people with different skills, including scientists, designers, engineers, project managers, teachers, writers, accountants and lawyers. Engineering alone needed experts in mechanical engineering, power systems, computer software, materials science and propulsion.
“Practically any field you can think of, there’s a place for you at NASA!”
– Jim Bell, scientist & principal investigator for Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z