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Mars 2020 Mission, Perseverance Rover Attached to Rocket Ahead of Launch

Published on Thursday, July 9, 2020 | 11:51 am
 
The Mars 2020 spacecraft, with its accompanying Perseverance rover, sits inside the payload fairing of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station ahead of its anticipated launch on July 30, 2020. (Credit: NASA)

NASA’s Mars 2020 spacecraft and Jet Propulsion Laboratory-built Perseverance rover have been sealed inside the top of their rocket as the countdown to the highly-anticipated launch later this month grows shorter.

In a photo released by NASA Thursday, the spacecraft and rover could be seen housed inside the top section, or payload fairing, of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Workers then hoisted the nose cone, complete with spacecraft, 129 feet up to fit it atop its rocket, JPL officials said in a written statement.

Project Manager John McNamee of JPL said it was quite a sight to see the spacecraft and rocket finally joined together.

“I have seen my fair share of spacecraft being lifted onto rockets, but this one is special because there are so many people who contributed to this moment,” he said. “To each one of them I want to say, we got here together, and we’ll make it to Mars the same way.”

Launch for the Mars 2020 mission is scheduled for July 30 at the earliest, with a window lasting through Aug. 15.

“From there, Perseverance has about seven months and 290 million miles to go before arriving at Mars,” the JPL statement said.

Regardless of the exact launch date, the spacecraft is expected to land at Jezero Crater on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021.

The Perseverance rover is tasked with looking for signs of ancient life on Mars, studying the planet’s climate and geology and collecting samples of Martian rock to be retrieved by future missions.

The rover also carries a small experimental helicopter built by JPL and meant to demonstrate that powered flight within the extremely thin atmosphere of Mars is possible.

More information about the Mars 2020 mission is available on the mission website at mars.nasa.gov/mars2020.

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