BREAKING NEWS:
MARS ROVER LANDS!!!
By Olivia Green
On February 22, 2021, the Mars rover Perseverance touched down on Mars.
You may have already heard the news: NASA’s rover Perseverance has landed on Mars!
This is an amazing leap forward in modern technology. We now have breathtaking new video footage of the Martian landscape, as well as the first ever recorded audio of the Red Planet! This is a huge deal for NASA, and for humankind.
What is Perseverence’s mission?
Perseverance is searching for signs of ancient microbial life on Mars. If found, this will be an enormous accomplishment because that would be evidence that Mars once supported life…..and may be able to do so in the future. Perseverance will also study the planet’s climate and geology, collecting samples of objects found. The Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, also traveled to Mars strapped to Perseverance. This helicopter will test powered flight for the first time on another planet.
Fun Facts
- Over the years, 4 other rovers have landed successfully on Mars- Sojourner, Opportunity and Spirit, and Curiosity.
- Perseverance was actually launched on July 30, 2020, and it has only just arrived on Mars!
- Perseverance has a top speed of about 0.1 miles per hour – that is much less than the average walking speed of 3 to 4 miles per hour.
- The Perseverance mission will last at least one Mars year (about 687 days)
- The landing site was the Jezero Crater
- Perseverance is about 10 feet long- the size of a car!
