Last Updated on July 28, 2020 by Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller
Guest Column from Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller
People of all ages are invited by NASA to participate in the launch of the fifth Mars Rover Perseverance. Go to the following link for amazing resources and activities:
https://www.nasa.gov/beourguest
You or your entire family can create your own photo with the Mars Rover Perseverance.
The following link takes you to the Mars Photo Booth. Upload your picture, choose a background, download and save your image, then, share it using #CountdownToMars.
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/participate/photo-booth/
Perseverance is the fifth Mars Rover to explore the red planet. The first Mars Rover was Sojourner; landed on Mars in 1997, and it was the size of a microwave oven. In 2004 two Mars Rovers called Spirit and Opportunity landed on Martian soil; they were the size of a golf cart. Curiosity landed on Mars in 2012; the size of a MINI Cooper is still collecting data on the red planet.
Mars Rover Perseverance’s mission is to seek ancient microbial forms of life, and to collect and store a set of rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth by future Mars sample return missions. It also will test new technologies to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars.
On July 30th visit www.nasa.gov; then click on NASA TV for LIVE Programming.
Launch Coverage begins at 7:00 a.m. EST.
Perseverance is scheduled to launch at 7:50 a.m. EST.
It will be launched on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The name Perseverance came from Alex Mather, a seventh-grader from Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia, who submitted the winning essay, which was selected by NASA from a field of over 28,000 entries from K-12 students in every state in the U.S.
Perseverance is the size of a small car. Its mission is to seek ancient microbial forms of life, and to collect and store a set of rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth by future Mars sample return missions. It also will test new technologies to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars.
Ingenuity, a robotic helicopter will be hitching a ride to Mars. Vaneeza Rupani , a junior at Tuscaloosa County High School in Northport, Alabama, came up with the name Ingenuity for NASA’s Mars Helicopter.