The official livestream will begin at 2:15 p.m. EDT / 11:15 AM PST. It is expected to land at 3:55 PM EST.
New vehicle debuts don’t happen every day. This is especially true when the vehicle debuts on another freaking world. If all goes according to plan, NASA will broadcast a livestream of the Perseverance Mars Rover touching down on the Red Planet. Livestreaming is currently underway. A landing is expected at 3:55 PM EST/ 12:55 PM PST.
Perseverance is a rugged vehicle that can be used in any kind of off-road setting. It’s 10 feet long and 7 foot tall. It is almost the same size as a Mitsubishi Mirage, and only four feet shorter than the newly revealed Honda HRV. It doesn’t provide for passengers but does include a variety of instruments and cameras that can be used to study Mars more precisely than ever.
The articulated six-wheel undercarriage allows the rover to conquer difficult terrain. It must be self-sufficient, as there is absolutely not a road service available in an emergency. Perseverance, once established on Mars’ surface, will be responsible for searching for signs that life may have existed on Mars in the distant past when liquid water was possible.
Perseverance is the first step to any exploration. The “seven minutes terror” sequence is known as the descent through Martian atmosphere. It involves complex automated sequences that include parachutes, jetpacks and critical timing. This ensures everything goes according to plan. NASA controllers are unable to operate the equipment at real-time due to the distance between Earth and Mars. This means that the spacecraft will have to handle everything by itself.
This means that we won’t be able to know if the touchdown was successful until after its scheduled 3:55 p.m. Eastern Standard Time landing. It is not an easy task. This is especially true given the Jezero Crater landing zone, which is a large basin of rocks filled with rocks scientists believe were once a river delta. It’s actually the most difficult landing NASA attempted on Mars. However, the possibility of discovery makes it worthwhile.
As NASA’s historic moment unfolds, we invite you to join us in cheering on the astronauts