Continuing its never-ending quest to study our closest neighbour in the solar system, NASA has successfully launched its latest mission to Mars. Aptly named Perseverance, the launch of the latest Mars rover is a testament to mankinds determination to keep scientific progress going even in the time of a global pandemic.
Heres all you need to know about the Perseverance Mars Mission:
When did Perseverance lift-off?
Perseverance achieved lift-off on Thursday, July 30, at 7:50 a.m. Eastern Time (5:20 p.m. Indian Standard Time).
The launch was initially scheduled for July 22 but had to be called off due to bad weather conditions. NASA had a small window to operate. Due to the alignment of Earth and Mars, the missions launch period would have expired on August 15. If they couldnt achieve the launch by then, the rover would have to be stored for another two years, until the next favourable alignment of the planets.
Where did the rover take off from?
The launch happened from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA.
What was used to carry the rover?
Perseverance was mounted aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket
Perseverance aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket, ready for launch. (Photo: Twitter/@NASAPersevere)
When will it reach Mars?
After a seven-month journey, Perseverance is set to arrive on Mars on February 18, 2021, where it will touch down on the surface of the Jezero Crater.
How did it get its name?
The apt name for the rover was carefully chosen amongst thousands of options. NASA launched a “Name the Rover” competition in 2019 to find the perfect name. Children across schools in the US were invited to suggest a name and write essays explaining their choices. The competition was won by a middle school student by the name of Alexander Mather, who gave NASAs latest rover the name, Perseverance.
What will it do on Mars?
The rover will be landing in the Jezero Crater, a place with high potential for finding signs of past microbial life. Previous Mars orbiters have been collecting images and other data from Jezero Crater from about 300 kilometres above, but Perseverance will land on the surface and perform a much closer inspection.
The Perseverance rover is carrying instruments and technology that will facilitate manned missions to Mars someday. (Photo: NASA JPL/Christian Mangano)
The mission marks the first time in history that samples will be collected to bring back to Earth from another planet. By studying Mars’ past climate conditions and its geological history embedded in its rocks, scientists will attempt to understand why Earth and Mars (which are made out of the star-stuff) ended up so different. The rover is also carrying instruments and technology that will facilitate manned missions to Mars someday.
Continuing a long lineage of explorers
The Perseverance rover follows a long line of missions aimed at better understanding the Red Planet. NASA’s first rover, Sojourner, demonstrated in 1997 that a robot could land on Mars. Spirit and Opportunity, which landed in 2004, found evidence that the planet once hosted running water before becoming a frozen desert. Curiosity, which has been exploring Mars since 2012, discovered that its landing site, the Gale Crater, was once home to a lake, billions of years ago, with an environment that could have supported microbial life.
Perseverance aims to take the next step, seeking, as a primary goal, to answer one of the key questions of astrobiology: Are there any signs that life once existed on Mars?
NASA’s Curiosity rover, Perseverances predecessor who reached Mars in 2012. (Photo: Twitter/@NASA)
Youre invited for the journey!
Thanks to 23 cameras mounted on Perseverance and its surrounding equipment, we here on Earth get front row tickets to the whole show! Perseverance even has its own Twitter account with regular updates on its status!
Were on our way to Mars me and the almost 11 million names I carry. One home behind us, and a new one ahead. #CountdownToMars
Post-launch Update: https://t.co/ssXuLjQVez pic.twitter.com/fJmK48hTiL
NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) July 30, 2020
Did you enjoy what you read? For more such interesting news from the great beyond, stay tuned to The Learning Tree Blog.
Ankita Dutta is a STORYWEAVER at BYJU?S. Avid reader and writer by day, a classical singer by night, Harry Potter nerd, a film aficionado, and the classroom joker in her yesteryear. Ankita believes that words can influence to a point where they change personalities and ideologies. Wish to contact her about intriguing debates, writing trends and stories? Drop in a mail to storyweavers@byjus.com
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Comments
Manashvi Singh
August 1, 2020
Woah ! It’s a great achievement for humanity . Thank you Byjus for informing us about this ?
ABHISAR SINGH
August 2, 2020
Yes NASA is really doing a nice work but the Mission Mangal we send actually took less time than this approaching
mars !! am I right please reply .
Trrishan Saha
August 2, 2020
I have seen the video and it was beautiful! Our Red Planet, Mars! That rusting planet! Hey friends, you might be thinking that the Mars was made of iron and then Oxygen started running around the Mars and created iron oxide? Then there was Oxygen (I am only joking)!
Swastika
August 4, 2020
Perseverance’s helicopter Ingenuity, first interplanetary helicopter, was named by a girl of Indian origin Vaneeza Rupani.
Sambodhi Kamble
August 4, 2020
Yeah . It’s interesting .
Samadarshee
August 6, 2020
Just loved the information.I didn’t know that the name ‘Preseverance’ came from a school student!Thanks Byjus!
Anonymous User
August 11, 2020
I love space a lot as it is so interesting and mysterious
Anonymous User
August 11, 2020
I love space a lot as it is so interesting and we haven’t even solved 1% of them
pranajl Kumar bhagat
August 11, 2020
It is in very nice achievement for humanity .I am thankful to byjus to inform us about this .
Kristi Verma
August 16, 2020
WOW
Vamshi
September 10, 2020
I want to go nasa because I like nasa ?????? it will be butteyful
And I live BYJUS ant this the best app I thought world I love BYJUS
Krishti
September 26, 2020
So interesting!!!! I loved this blog. Please send us more blogs like this.?