The atmospheric pressure on Mars is less than 1 percent that of Earth, and the Martian gravity field is about three-eighths as strong as it is on Earth. Testing of a lightweight robotic helicopter designed to fly in the alien atmosphere of Mars has produced encouraging results in recent months, and NASA officials expect to decide soon whether the aerial drone will accompany the agency’s next rover to the red planet set for liftoff in 2020.Įngineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have worked on the helicopter design for several years, modifying principles used in drones that fly in Earth’s atmosphere for the more challenging conditions at Mars. 18, its microphone recorded sounds from the surface of Mars, representing the first audio ever recorded on the surface of another planet.Artist’s illustration of the Mars helicopter drone that could travel to the red planet as soon as 2020. In the process, the team captured a whirring sound made by the rover's thermal system, confirming the microphone is working well.Īfter the rover successfully landed in Jezero Crater on Feb. 19, 2020 to ensure it was functioning properly. Perseverance is also equipped with a microphone that recorded the sounds of its entry, descent and landing - a sequence sometimes referred to as "seven minutes of terror." The Mars 2020 team tested the mic in flight on Oct. This helped ensure the spacecraft was protected as it endured peak temperatures of 2,370 degrees Fahrenheit (1,300 degrees Celsius) upon entering the Martian atmosphere. The aeroshell also fired small thrusters on the backshell to reorient itself and make sure the heat shield was facing the Red Planet as it plunged into the atmosphere. The atmospheric drag helped to slow the spacecraft during its descent. About 90 seconds after atmospheric entry, peak deceleration occurred, as the spacecraft slowed to under 1,000 mph (1,600 kph). The entry, descent and landing (EDL) phase began when Perseverance reached the top of the Martian atmosphere, at which point it was travelling nearly 12,100 mph (19,500 kph). In addition, the rover is outfitted with a set of five sensors - called the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) - that will measure the weather and dust in the atmosphere on Mars, as well as a ground-penetrating radar, called the Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX), which will study geologic features under the Martian surface. Thus, this exploration technology will help determine the feasibility of future oxygen generators to support human missions on Mars. Located on the front right side of the rover, MOXIE will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide. The Perseverance rover also has an instrument called the Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE). The rover also has two additional imaging instruments to study the composition and mineralogy of Martian surface materials: the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) and the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC). This includes two cameras - Mastcam-Z and SuperCam - located at the head of the rover, giving the cameras a wide field of view. NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is equipped with seven science and exploration instruments. The Mars 2020 mission marks humanity's first interplanetary sample-return campaign. The rover's mission will last approximately one Mars year, or about 687 Earth days.ĭuring its time on the Red Planet, Perseverance will hunt for signs of ancient Mars life, while also collecting at least 20 samples of Martian rock and soil for future return to Earth. Perseverance will then explore the plains surrounding the crater rim. The rover will then travel up and across the delta toward possible ancient shoreline deposits, before climbing to the top of the crater rim, which rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) high. In this photo - taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter - the rover's route begins at the cliffs defining the base of a delta, where a river once flowed into a lake that filled the crater billions of years ago. This path takes the rover across Jezero Crater as it investigates various ancient environments that may have once been habitable. This image captures one of the possible routes charted for Perseverance.
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