Perseverance rover

Perseverance rover
NASA/JPL-Caltech · Public domain · source
Name	Perseverance
Mission type	Mars rover
Operator	NASA / JPL
Website	https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/
Mission duration	Planned: 1 Mars year (~687 Earth days), Elapsed: July 30, 2020 11:50:00 UTC (ongoing)
Manufacturer	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Launch mass	1,025 kg (2,260 lb)
Power	MMRTG
Launch date	July 30, 2020, 11:50:00 UTC
Launch rocket	Atlas V 541
Launch site	Cape Canaveral SLC-41
Arrival date	February 18, 2021, 20:55 UTC
Arrival site	Jezero crater
Programme	Mars 2020
Previous mission	InSight
Next mission	Mars Sample Return

Perseverance rover. A car-sized robotic explorer, it is the centerpiece of NASA's Mars 2020 mission and landed in Jezero crater on February 18, 2021. Engineered by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, its primary objectives are to search for signs of ancient microbial life, characterize the planet's geology and past climate, and collect rock and regolith samples for a potential future return to Earth. The rover also carries technology demonstrations, including the Ingenuity helicopter, to pave the way for future human exploration of the Red Planet.

Overview

The mission builds directly on the discoveries of its predecessors, particularly the Curiosity rover, which confirmed that ancient Mars had environments capable of supporting life. Jezero crater was selected as the landing site because orbital data from missions like the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicated it once held a lake and a river delta, making it a prime location to preserve biosignatures. Managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, the project involves collaboration with hundreds of scientists from institutions worldwide, including the Centre National d'Études Spatiales and the Italian Space Agency.

Design and construction

The rover's design leverages the successful architecture of the Curiosity rover, with improvements for greater autonomy and sampling capability. Its chassis, built by Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is made of aluminum and titanium, housing a sophisticated computer system based on a RAD750 processor. For power, it uses a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG), similar to the one on Curiosity, which converts heat from the decay of plutonium-238 into electricity. Key new systems include a more robust Sample Caching System and the Terrain-Relative Navigation system, which used images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to autonomously avoid hazards during its descent.

Scientific instruments

Perseverance carries seven primary instruments. SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) and PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) on the robotic arm analyze the chemical and mineralogical composition of rocks at a fine scale. The SuperCam instrument, developed with the French Space Agency, uses a laser to vaporize rock and analyze the resulting plasma. The Mastcam-Z camera system provides panoramic and stereoscopic imaging, while the MEDA (Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer) suite, from Spain's Centro de Astrobiología, monitors weather. The RIMFAX (Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment) ground-penetrating radar, provided by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, probes underground geology.

Mission profile

Launched aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on July 30, 2020, the spacecraft traveled for nearly seven months before entering the Martian atmosphere. Its landing on February 18, 2021, employed the innovative "Sky Crane" maneuver, first used for Curiosity. Shortly after landing, it deployed the Ingenuity helicopter, which performed the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. The rover's operational timeline is divided into science campaigns, focusing on different geological units within Jezero crater, such as the ancient delta and the crater floor.

Discoveries and findings

Early findings confirmed that Jezero crater once held a persistent lake with a connected river system. Analysis of rocks from the "South Séítah" and "Máaz" formations by PIXL and SHERLOC revealed the presence of igneous minerals like olivine and pyroxene, as well as salts and organic molecules. The RIMFAX radar detected distinct underground layers, suggesting periods of sediment deposition. The rover has collected numerous rock core samples, sealing them in ultra-clean tubes for future retrieval by the proposed Mars Sample Return mission, a joint effort between NASA and the European Space Agency.

Legacy and future missions

Perseverance's most profound legacy will likely be the sample cache it is creating, intended for return to Earth by the international Mars Sample Return mission. Its technology demonstrations, such as the MOXIE (Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment) instrument which produced oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, are critical steps toward supporting future human expeditions. The success of the Ingenuity helicopter has already revolutionized plans for aerial exploration on other worlds. Data from the rover continues to inform the objectives of upcoming missions, such as those planned by the China National Space Administration and other space agencies targeting Mars.

Category:Mars rovers Category:Jet Propulsion Laboratory Category:2020 in spaceflight Category:Robotic spacecraft