The next rover that NASA will send on Mars is called Perseverance and it is going to explore the Red Planet with the help of the most accurate maps of Mars that astronomers have ever made. Perseverance is the most important part of the Mars 2020 mission, which adds up to about 2.7 billion USD and it is scheduled to be launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, located in the state of Florida.
Launch Details
The launch is scheduled to take place during the early hours of Thursday, 30 July. If the current schedule remains in place, the rover, which is the size of a car, will land on the surface of Mars on 18 February, 2021. The exact landing site on the Red Planet will be the Jezero Crater.
Mars Location
The Jezero crater is 28-mile-wide, which translates to about 45 kilometers. It used to host a lake and a river delta in the past of the Red Planet, making it the perfect destination for researchers that are looking for signs of life on Mars. Life-hunting and caching samples are exactly the sort of activity that Perseverance, the new rover, will perform.
Jezero Crater
The crater has a rough and highly ragged terrain, especially in the region where the river delta used to be. Although it is ideal for scientists that are looking for life on Mars, the Jezero lake is nothing but trouble for engineers that have to move the rover across the surface of the crater without having it break into pieces of flip on one of its sides.
Scientific Solutions
The Mars 2020 mission is one that will be solved with a variety of technologies. One of the most important of these technologies is the Terrain-Relative Navigation, which enables the rover to assess the terrain for dangers.