Share
CNN
Hundreds of people have put nearly 10 years of work into developing NASA’s most advanced robotic explorer yet, the Perseverance rover, and the moment is almost here.
The rover is scheduled to land on Mars Thursday at 12:55 p.m. PT. Perseverance has received her commands and she’s ready to go, her mission team confirmed Wednesday.
Due to the time delay between Earth and Mars, Perseverance is on her own during the “7 minutes of terror” of landing. She plunges into the atmosphere at 12,000 miles per hour and has to slow down, using parachutes and retrorockets, to 0 miles per hour seven minutes later when she reaches the surface.
Her team will anxiously be watching for the data she relays back through the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to know if she landed safely or not. If so, the real journey will begin as the rover explores the red planet for the next two years.
By Ashley Strickland | 17 Feb 2021
RELATED TOPICS:
CA Has Seen Many New Towns, but This Big Project Is Stalled
3 hours ago
Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog
14 hours ago
Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies
15 hours ago
Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’
16 hours ago
The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance
16 hours ago
Jack Black, a Small Dog With a Big Heart, Is Looking for His Forever Home