After a seven-month journey to the Red Planet, the Perseverance rover is finally ready to reach Mars. We offer coverage for the historic landing, as you can watch the dreaded “seven minutes of terror” live right here.
“Landing on Mars is not guaranteed, but we have been preparing for a decade to put the wheels of this rover on the surface of Mars and get to work,” said Jennifer Trosper, deputy project manager for the Mars 2020 mission at Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA. A statement.
Indeed, space is difficult, as they say, and Mars, named for the Roman god of war, always presents a challenge for potential visitors.. About 60% of all missions to Mars have failed, which is a worrying memory of complexity involved. The next attempt will be no exception, NASA described on Thursday landing as the most accurate so far. The rover will have to rely on unproven navigation aids, while trying to avoid hazards such as rock fields, hills and steep walls of Jezero Crater.
But the scene is ready and The $ 2.7 billion Perseverance rover is scheduled to surface at 3:55 PM EST (12:55 pm PST) on Thursday. February 18th. Coverage in NASA’s live stream, which you can watch below, begins at 2:15 p.m. EST (11:15 AM PST).
I provided the feed on YouTube, but other channels that broadcast it includes Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, twitch, Daily movement, Theta.TV, and NASA application. Spanish speakers can follow the action Here. Other interesting options include a clean food from NASA mission control and 360 degree flow via YouTube. A post-landing news briefing is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EST (2:30 p.m. PST), which you can watch Here.
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It takes about 11 minutes for the radio signals to travel the distance from Mars to Earth, which means that Perseverance will have to do it alone. It also means that we will be behind the actual action on Mars with that period of time, which NASA has adapted in its program. That being said, mission controllers “may not be able to confirm these steps at the times listed … because of the complexity of deep space communications, ”according to NASA.
Perseverance will plow in the Martian atmosphere at speeds of up to 19,500 km / h at 3:48 pm EST (12:48 pm PST). Next seven minutes of terror it will involve extreme heat, the deployment of a supersonic parachute and the separation of the rover from the heat shield and the rear housing. Until it hits the dirt– with the help of retrorockets and tethers-Perseverance will be slowed down at a brisk pace.
Once the red dust has settled, Perseverance will take pictures of its surroundings and send them back to Earth. Mission controllers will also assess the rover’s health in a process that is expected to last more than a month. During this time, Perseverance will unfold its mast, which will lead to even more images and possibly even a selfie. Mission controllers will also take time to assess the state of ingenuity – a small helicopter brought for the trip.
Assuming all is well, Perseverance will then formally enter the scientific stage of the mission, as it will look for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover’s new home, Jezero Crater, was once covered in water and fed by a rushing river, making it an ideal setting for this robotic astrobiologist.
If all goes well, the rover will be the fifth to reach the Red Planet, its predecessors being Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity and Curiosity. The fingers are firmly crossed so that we are about to witness a historic landing and a fruitful the next chapter in our ongoing exploration of Mars.