Mars 2020 Perseverance
Robotic missionActive
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 photo archive
Reviewed photographs documenting Mars 2020 Perseverance. Every image links to its official NASA catalog record.
Mars 2020 Perseverance official archive image
Official NASA archive imagery explicitly cataloged for Mars 2020 Perseverance.
Mars 2020 Perseverance Launch
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover onboard launches from Space Launch Complex 41, Thursday, July 30, 2020, at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Perseverance rover is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Mars 2020 Perseverance Helicopter Installation
NASA’s Mars Helicopter is installed on the agency’s Mars Perseverance rover inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on April 6, 2020. Perseverance safely lands on Mars, the helicopter will be released to perform the first in a series of flight tests that will take place during a period of about 30 days. The helicopter will be the first aircraft to fly on another planet. Perseverance, carrying the helicopter, will touch down on the Red Planet on Feb. 18, 2021. Liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket is targeted between July 17 and Aug. 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Launch record
Explore this mission’s launch, including its vehicle, launch site, payload, and outcome.
Perseverance
launch attemptDeep-space attemptcompletedNo reviewed launch image6 connectionsMission dossier
Flight profile, locations, hardware, and outcome in the same reference format used throughout the archive.
Flight profile
- Launch
- July 30, 2020[1]
Places and recovery
Mission record
- Arrival
- Landed February 18, 2021[1]
- Operator
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory[1]
- Mission type
- Mars astrobiology and sample-caching [1]
- Vehicle
- Perseverance Mars rover[1]
- Launch vehicle
- Atlas V 541[1]
- Spacecraft mass
- about 2,260 pounds (1,025 kilograms) for the rover[1]
- Program
- Mars 2020[1]
- Crew complement
- 0[1]
- Science payload
- Mastcam-Z, SuperCam, PIXL, SHERLOC, RIMFAX, MEDA, MOXIE, sample-caching system, microphones, and Ingenuity helicopter[1]
- Outcome
- Active[1]
Trajectory profile
2 sourcesFollow the mission from departure through its flight environment, destination, and final phase. This sequence is not a scale orbital plot.
Mission locations
2 sourcesDocumented surface, test, landing, and recovery locations. Map links use the cited place name or exact coordinates; AstronautAtlas does not geocode or estimate missing positions.
Departure or test site
Launch site
Cape Canaveral, Florida
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.