For some reason, for over two decades now, earthlings have been obsessed with Mars. However, On February, 18th 2021, NASA came one step closer to the Red Planet. The new Mars Helicopter landed and sent back high-resolution color images of the planet. This perseverance rover took a 203 long day journey to touch-down. The celebration of the landing was evident around the world. Moreover, even Google participated in the celebration by animating fireworks if you search ‘NASA Mars Rover’ or something synonymous.
About Mars 2020
Mars 2020 is the official name of the perseverance rover that launched in 2020. The purpose of this rover is to collect rock, broken rocks, and soil samples from the planet to bring back to Earth. Just like NASA has been doing over years, these will help determine the geology of the planet.
Moreover, this perseverance will search for signs for ancient microbial life and help in welcoming humans to Mars (soon, hopefully).
This perseverance took a helicopter with it – ingenuity. This is the first controlled aircraft sent to another planet.
Mission – NASA Mars Rover
NASA breaks down its mission to simplify it. There have been other rovers sent. However, this one is the most advanced and has a bigger mission.
- Signs of life
Over the years, NASA has collected a lot of data that proves that Mars could have signs of running water. Moreover, the climate shows that there may have been microbial present as well. The new perseverance’s main job is to find out any signs of ancient life on the planet. - Find a place to land
One of the most overwhelming things about going to another planet is finding out where to land. While the perseverance is strong, it is important to see if it withstands the terrain of the Red Planet. At this point, the rover landed at a point called Jezero Crater near the Northern Hemisphere of Mars. About 3.5 billion years ago, there may have been flowing water there. Moreover, the team believes that there may be signs left from that time. - Studying Geology
Mars and Earth are seemingly quite similar. However, perseverance will help make the picture better. With its high-tech cameras, it will help with the study of Geology. Geology helps give an insight into the planet’s past and future. Moreover, it can help tell us why Earth and Mars turned out so different!
Bottomline!
When they said the Sky is the limit – they meant it! We for one, are super excited about being a step closer to the exploration of Mars. Let’s not say anything else. Enjoy these BREATHTAKING images from NASA! We don’t have credits for any of these pictures.
Feature Image Credits: NASA
