(Image source from: syfy.com)

Mars Mission 2020: NASA has launched a perseverance mission to mars from an Air Force station in Florida on July 30. It is the most sophisticated vehicle ever sent to mars.

NASA, on July 30 has launched a perseverance mission on an Alliance Atlas V Rocket at 5 20 pm IST on July 30. The vehicle is loaded with scientific instruments and other systems and is the heaviest vehicle sent on mars till now.

This perseverance rover will also carry the first samples of space suit material ever sent to the red planet.

According to NASA’s planetary science director, Lori Glaze, this perseverance rover will get the closest images of Mars which would enable to study science’s everlasting questions about the planet such as the origination of life in the planet.

What is the role of perseverance rover?

Perseverance mission aims to answer one of the most asked questions about the red planet Mars. The question is about the existence of life if ever on the planet.

The perseverance rover has some set goals to achieve through this mission. It has to detect the presence of any signs related to ancient microbial life. It will also characterize the planet’s geography and the climate. It will collect the rock and sediment samples for a future return to earth and paving way for the human exploration beyond the moon.

The rover’s flight system engineer, ray Baker had said that building this perseverance rover was the toughest thing he has ever been a part of.

Where will the perseverance rover land?

The rover will land on Jezero crater, which is on the western edge of Isidis Planitia and the crater is 45 km wide. Isidis Planitia is a giant basin which is located in the north of the Martian equator.

What are the features of the perseverance rover?

• The rover has improved self driving for efficient travel.
• It has the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) which would provide necessary information about Mars’ weather, climate and dust.
• The In-situ resource utilization experiment technology aims to provide oxygen from the Mars’ carbon dioxide. This technology will also help future explorers in breathing.
• The rover has 23 cameras, highest number of cameras for any interplanetary mission in the history.
• The cameras will give a high definition view of the landing process when the rover lands on Mars in February, 2021.
• The perseverance rover also carries with it 3 silicon chips which had the names of 11 million people who had signed up to ride with the mission.

By Gayatri Yellayi