Perseverance (aka Percy) launched on July 30th, 2020, and is scheduled to arrive on Mars on February 18th, 2021. It was named by Alexander Mather, a 13-year-old student from Virginia who wrote “Curiosity, Insight, Spirit, Opportunity. If you think about it, all of these names of past Mars rovers are qualities we possess as humans. But if rovers are to be the qualities of us as a race, we missed the most important thing: Perseverance. “On Feb 18th, around 3:30 pm EST, Percy will begin its Entry, Descent, and Landing procedure into Mars. Watch the simulation of it here. During its planned 687 days mission, Percy will explore: Martian Geology to answer key questions about the potential for ancient life on Mars: Was it warm? Was it wet? Was it hospitable to life?
This is NASA’s first Astro biologically focused mission to Mars. It will also prepare the way for Human exploration by demonstrating a way that future explorers might produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere for propellant and for breathing. It will also store samples on board that can be brought back to Earth by future missions. By the end of the mission, it will collect nearly 30 samples.
Special thanks to Colin Vendromin for the music also thanks to Zac Kenny for the logo!