Mars 2020 facts for kids
Artist's rendition of the Perseverance rover on Mars, with the mini-helicopter Ingenuity in front
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| Mission type | Mars exploration |
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| Operator | |
| Mission duration |
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| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 30 July 2020, 11:50 UTC |
| Rocket | Atlas V 541 (AV-088) |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-41 |
| Contractor | United Launch Alliance |
| Mars rover | |
| Landing date | 18 February 2021, 20:55 UTC |
| Landing site | Jezero crater |
  NASA (left) and JPL (right) insignias Mars Exploration Program
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The Mars 2020 mission is a special space project by NASA. It includes a robot car called Perseverance and a small helicopter named Ingenuity. Their main job is to explore the planet Mars.
The mission launched from Earth on July 30, 2020. It was sent into space on an Atlas V rocket. The spacecraft landed safely on Mars on February 18, 2021. It touched down in a place called Jezero Crater. As of 22 June 2025, the Perseverance rover has been exploring Mars for 1542 sols. A "sol" is a Martian day, which is a little longer than an Earth day.
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Exploring Mars with Perseverance
The Perseverance rover is like a robotic scientist on wheels. Its main goal is to look for signs of ancient life on Mars. It is exploring an old environment that might have once supported tiny living things.
What Perseverance Investigates
The rover studies the geology (rocks and soil) of Mars. It wants to understand how the planet changed over time. Scientists want to know if Mars was ever a place where life could have existed. They are also searching for biosignatures. These are clues that show if life was once present in the rocks.
Collecting Samples
A very important part of the mission is collecting rock and soil samples. Perseverance has a special drill to get these samples. It puts them into sealed containers. These containers are left on the Martian surface. A future mission might pick them up and bring them back to Earth. This would let scientists study them in detail.
Perseverance's Tools
The Perseverance rover is packed with amazing tools. It has 19 cameras to take many pictures of Mars. It also has two microphones. These allow us to hear sounds from the Martian environment for the first time. This helps scientists learn even more about the planet. The rover's design is based on the older Curiosity rover. This means it uses many parts that have already been tested.
Ingenuity: The First Mars Helicopter
The Ingenuity helicopter is a small drone. It traveled to Mars attached to the belly of the Perseverance rover. Ingenuity is the first aircraft to fly on another planet.
How Ingenuity Helps
Ingenuity's job was to show that flying in Mars' thin atmosphere is possible. It took short test flights. These flights helped scientists plan safe routes for Perseverance. It also took aerial photos of the Martian landscape. A small piece of fabric from the Wright brothers' first airplane is attached to Ingenuity. This honors the history of flight.
Journey to the Red Planet
The Mars 2020 mission was part of a busy time for Mars exploration. Several countries launched missions to Mars in July 2020. This was because Earth and Mars were in a good position for travel.
Other Mars Missions in 2020
- The United Arab Emirates launched their Hope orbiter on July 19. An orbiter flies around the planet.
- China launched its Tianwen-1 mission on July 23. This mission included an orbiter, a lander, and a rover.
All these missions arrived at Mars in early 2021. They are helping us learn more about our mysterious neighbor.
Images for kids
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Sample tubes being loaded into the Perseverance rover
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Campaign plans for 2021–2022
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Animation of Mars 2020's trajectory from 30 July 2020 to 20 February 2021- Mars 2020
- Sun
- Earth
- Mars
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A piece of fabric from the wing of the 1903 Wright Flyer airplane of the Wright brothers is attached under the solar panel of the Ingenuity helicopter.
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The Jezero crater delta on Mars, where the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter landed. Clays are visible as green in this false color CRISM / CTX image.
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Mars 2020 launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, at 11:50 UTC on 30 July 2020
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Diagram of the various stages of the EDL process for Perseverance
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A new crater appears on Mars after the impact of the 77 kg (170 lb) piece of tungsten thrown down during the EDL stage
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"Crater Floor Fractured Rough" is the area from which the first rock sample shall be collected
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Mars Perseverance rover – Octavia E. Butler Landing Site in the Jezero crater (5 March 2021)
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Mars Perseverance rover – Panoramic view of landing site (18 February 2021)
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The Ingenuity helicopter views the Perseverance rover (left) about 85 m (279 ft) away from 5.0 m (16.4 ft) in the air (25 April 2021)
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Mars Perseverance rover – Possible routes for exploration and study
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"Send Your Name" placard attached to Perseverance
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Sample souvenir boarding pass for those who registered their names to be flown aboard the Perseverance rover
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See also
In Spanish: Mars 2020 para niños
