NASA's Perseverance rover landed on ?? ???the surface of Mars on Thursday, triumphantly marking the end of its seven-month journey through space and the beginning of its Mars mission.
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After a harrowing entry and descent onto the red planet inside a lander, Perseverance was lowered on a set of wires by the lander, which hovered 20 meters above the ground thanks to its small rockets. Everything in the entry, descent, and landing (known as the seven minutes of terror) went according to plan, and Perseverance can begin checking all of its parts and scientific instruments to make sure it's functioning properly.
The entire landing process was broadcast live.
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The excitement and jubilation from the team behind the Mars 2020 mission:
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Perseverance landed in the Jezero Crater, a large expanse that was once home to a water-covered river delta. Rocks in the area are up to 3.5 million years old, when the planet had a warmer and wetter climate. Examining them could give scientists insights into Mars' past.
After a few weeks of diagnostic checks and the completion of the Ingenuity helicopter's flight tests, the 2,260-pound rover will navigate through the ancient delta. It will use a host of instruments to take pictures, examine the chemical makeup of rocks and soil, search for evidence that ancient lifeforms may have left behind if they existed (called biosignatures), prepare soil samples to be picked up and delivered to Earth by a future mission, and perform a few exciting experiments.
The first will involve the Ingenuity helicopter, a solar-powered drone with the honor of attempting humanity's first flight on another planet, as long as it can get its 4-pound body off the ground. The second test will involve a device that was created to turn the carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere into oxygen. If successful, that test could have wide implications for future missions to Mars, including the ability to create rocket fuel (which uses a lot of oxygen) and breathable air for astronauts.
The setup of soil samples for return to Earth is one of the more exciting aspects of Perseverance's journey. While it will be a few years before they can be picked up and brought to Earth, the prospect of being able to use laboratories to examine rocks and soil that were likely in contact with or near water is a big step forward for our understanding of Mars.
SEE ALSO: Is it aliens? Here's why it's hard to know for sure.Along with Perseverance, two other missions from Earth have arrived at Mars. The Hope orbiter from the United Arab Emirates Space Agency arrived Feb. 9 and has been orbiting the planet, primarily examining its atmosphere. The Tianwen-1 combination orbiter, lander, and rover entered orbit on Feb. 10, where it will remain before releasing its lander and rover to reach the surface in May.
Perseverance is the United States' fifth rover on Mars, continuing NASA's perfect streak for landing rovers on the planet. The previous rover, Curiosity, is still operational and has traveled more than 20 kilometers since landing in 2012.
If Tianwen-1 successfully lands, China will become the second country to land a rover on Mars.