In our pandemic reality, you too can be a part of NASA’s mission to Mars. Virtually, of course.
NASA’s Perseverance rover is expected to touch down on Mars’ Jezero Crater at approximately 3:55 p.m. EST on Feb. 18. The space agency will be hosting live coverage and commentary starting at 2:15 p.m. EST on several platforms, including:
The Perseverance mission will explore a particularly old area of Mars, primarily searching for signs of past life. The rover will be equipped with lasers, cameras, and other instruments to scan the planet for the smallest traces of atoms from tiny lifeforms, eventually filling 43 sample tubes to be later picked up and transported back to Earth.
Perseverance will also be carrying the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which will attempt to launch the first ever flight on Mars. Ingenuity, a 4-pound, solar-powered drone equipped with a camera, is able to fly for about 90 seconds on a predetermined path.
Perseverance will be NASA’s fifth Mars rover. We can only hope it will find actual signs of alien life, regardless of how ancient it might be.