Mars 2020 Perseverance
Perseverance explores an ancient river delta, caches selected samples, and carries the first aircraft to another world
Mars 2020 Perseverance launched on July 30, 2020 toward Jezero Crater, Mars. The about 2,260 pounds (1,025 kilograms) for the spacecraft carried mastcam-z, supercam, pixl, sherloc, rimfax, meda, moxie, sample-caching system, microphones, and ingenuity helicopter. Perseverance documented Jezero's volcanic floor, lake sediments, delta, and later impact history, collected sealed rock and regolith cores, demonstrated oxygen production and autonomous driving, recorded Martian sound, and deployed Ingenuity for 72 pioneering powered flights.
Mission dossier
Flight profile, locations, hardware, and outcome in the same reference format used throughout the archive.
Flight profile
- Launch
- July 30, 2020
Places and recovery
- Destination
- Jezero Crater, Mars
Mission record
- Arrival
- Landed February 18, 2021
- Operator
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Mission type
- Mars astrobiology and sample-caching
- Vehicle
- Perseverance Mars rover
- Launch vehicle
- Atlas V 541
- Spacecraft mass
- about 2,260 pounds (1,025 kilograms) for the rover
- Program
- Mars 2020
- Crew complement
- 0
- Science payload
- Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL, SHERLOC, RIMFAX, MEDA, MOXIE, sample-caching system, microphones, and Ingenuity helicopter
- Outcome
- Active
Mission Purpose
2 sources- Seek signs of ancient microbial life, reconstruct Jezero Crater's geology and climate, collect and cache scientifically selected samples, and demonstrate technologies for future robotic and human exploration.
- Complete interplanetary cruise, Mars approach, landed february 18, 2021, and commissioning of Perseverance Mars rover.
- Operate the science payload, navigation, power, thermal, telecommunications, autonomy, and permanent planetary-data archive systems.
- Perseverance documented Jezero's volcanic floor, lake sediments, delta, and later impact history, collected sealed rock and regolith cores, demonstrated oxygen production and autonomous driving, recorded Martian sound, and deployed Ingenuity for 72 pioneering powered flights.
Planned Flight Plan
2 sources- July 30, 2020
Mars 2020 Perseverance launches
Atlas V 541 injects the spacecraft onto its trajectory toward Mars.
- Landed February 18, 2021
Reach Mars
The mission completes entry, descent, landing.
- Commissioning
Begin Mars operations
Controllers validate spacecraft health, navigation, communications, instruments, data processing, and surface or orbital operations.
- Science operations
Perseverance explores an ancient river delta, caches selected samples, and carries the first aircraft to another world
Perseverance documented Jezero's volcanic floor, lake sediments, delta, and later impact history, collected sealed rock and regolith cores, demonstrated oxygen production and autonomous driving, recorded Martian sound, and deployed Ingenuity for 72 pioneering powered flights.
Mission Timeline
2 sources- July 30, 2020
Launch
Mars 2020 Perseverance departs Earth aboard Atlas V 541.
- Landed February 18, 2021
Mars arrival
Perseverance Mars rover reaches its documented Martian operating environment.
- Science milestone
Perseverance explores an ancient river delta, caches selected samples, and carries the first aircraft to another world
Perseverance documented Jezero's volcanic floor, lake sediments, delta, and later impact history, collected sealed rock and regolith cores, demonstrated oxygen production and autonomous driving, recorded Martian sound, and deployed Ingenuity for 72 pioneering powered flights.
- Recorded outcome
Active
Mars 2020 Perseverance's observations remain part of NASA's permanent Mars archive.