The Mars 2020 mission and its rover, Perseverance, and helicopter Ingenuity, were launched from Earth on 30 July 2020. On 15 February 2022, The New York Times reported an overview of Mars 2020 mission events since landing in Jezero crater on Mars in February 2021.[1] As of May 20, 2022, Perseverance has been on the planet Mars for 443 sols (456 total days; 1 year, 91 days).
Current weather data on Mars is being monitored by the Curiosity rover and the Insight lander.[2][3] The Perseverance rover is also collecting weather data. (See the External links section)
After arriving on the 18th of February, Perseverance focused on validating its systems. During this phase, it used its science instruments for the first time,[4] generated oxygen on Mars with MOXIE,[5] and deployed Ingenuity. Ingenuity began the technology demonstration phase of its mission, completing five flights before transitioning to the operations demonstration phase of its mission.
The Cratered Floor Campaign was the first science campaign.[16] It began on 1 June 2021, with the goal of exploring the Crater Floor Fractured Rough and Séítah geologic units. To avoid the sand dunes of the Séítah unit, Perseverance will mostly travel within the Crater Floor Fractured Rough geologic unit or along the boundary between the two units. The first of Perseverance's sample tubes are planned to be filled during this expedition.[15]
After collecting the samples, Perseverance will return to its landing site, before continuing to the delta for its second science campaign. At some point, it will store the filled sample tubes in a designated area for the upcoming Mars sample-return mission.[17] While Perseverance embarked on its first science campaign, Ingenuity continued to travel alongside the rover as part of its operations demonstration campaign.[11]
The Delta Front Campaign is the second, currently ongoing science campaign of the Mars 2020 mission. Ingenuity continues to travel alongside the rover as part of its operations demonstration campaign. Once Perseverance traverses to the top of the delta, it is expected to begin the third science campaign - the Delta Top Campaign.[45]
In the frame of the Mars sample-return mission around 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of soil samples along with some Martian gas samples from the atmosphere will be cached. Currently, samples are being cached by Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover on the surface of Mars. Out of 43 sample tubes, rock sample tubes cached-8,[49] gas sample tubes cached-1,[31] witness tubes cached-1,[23] tubes due to be cached-33. Before launch, 5 of the 43 tubes were designated “witness tubes” and filled with materials that would capture particulates in the ambient environment of Mars.[50]
Samples Taken | Date | Contents | Sample Name and Image | Rock Name | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tube 1[51] | 7 July 2021 | Witness Tube | N/A | N/A | North Séítah Unit[52] | This was taken as a dry-run in preparation for later sampling attempts, and did not aim to sample a rock. |
Tube 2 | 5 August 2021 | Atmospheric Gas | N/A (failed attempt of caching rock sample) |
Roubion | Cratered Floor Fractured Rough Unit[53] | Attempted to sample the rock but did not succeed, as they didn't reach the bit carousel and the caching system stored and sealed an empty tube. However in this process, it collected atmospheric samples. |
Tube 3[54] | 1 September 2021 | Soil Sample | Montdenier |
Rochette | Citadelle, South Séítah Unit | Successful sample.[55][56][57] |
Tube 4 |
8 September 2021 | Soil Sample | Montagnac |
Sampled from same rock as previous sample. | ||
Tube 5[59] | 15 November 2021 | Soil Sample | Salette |
Brac | Brac Outcrop, South Séítah Unit | |
Tube 6[59] | 24 November 2021 | Soil Sample | Coulettes |
|||
Tube 7 | 18 December 2021 | Soil Sample | Robine |
Issole | Issole, South Séítah Unit | |
Tube 8 | 29 December 2021 | Soil Sample | N/A (Abandoned sample from this site due to Core Bit Dropoff.) |
Pebble-sized debris from the first sample fell into the bit carousel during transfer of the coring bit, which blocked the successful caching of the sample.[60] It was decided to abandon this sample and do a second sampling attempt again. Subsequent tests and measures cleared remaining samples in tube and debris in caching system[61][62] The tube was reused for second sample attempt, which was successful. | ||
31 January 2022 | Soil Sample | Malay | ||||
Tube 9 | 7 March 2022 | Soil Sample | Hahonih |
Sid | Sid, Séítah Unit | |
Tube 10 | 13 March 2022 | Soil Sample | Atsah |
Ingenuity helicopter flight path and Perseverance Traverse Path showing their current locations. Live link
The distance traveled over time of Perseverance and Ingenuity
26035 Map-of-Ingenuitys-Ninth-Flight-Path
Perseverance enters Séítah on sol 201
Perseverance rover viewed from space
(28 September 2021)
Flight Profile for Ingenuity's Flight 15
Dust storm on Mars - Jezero crater (white circle) (9 January 2022)
Positioning before the 2021 solar conjunction
R210 is the rover position on sol 210;
H163
1, H174
2 and H193
3 means 1st, 2nd and 3rd landing sites of Ingenuity on the Field H on sols 163, 174 and 193 respectively
Entry, descent, and landing (EDL) on Mars (animation)
Mars Perseverance rover - drive view
(1 July 2021)
First image received after landing (BW photo)
First color photo
Perseverance's first study target
Rover test drive
(7 March 2021)
SuperCam calibration target with Mars meteorite
SHERLOC calibration target
PIXL Calibration target
Artuby outcrop
(17 June 2021)
Examining "paver rocks"
(10 July 2021)
"CraterFloorFractRough"
(8 July 2021)
"CraterFloorFractRough"
(15 July 2021)
Jezero crater - Scarp A
(17 April 2021)
Garde rock-SHERLOC
(18 September 2021)
Garde rock-SHERLOC
(18 September 2021)
Dourbes rock-WATSON
(5 November 2021)
Dourbes rock-PIXL
(5 November 2021)
Perseverance looks back at its tracks
(17 March 2022)
Parachute found
(6 April 2022)
Drive to Delta
(Gif; 9 April 2022)
Jezero Crater Delta view
(11 April 2022)
Phobos Solar Eclipse
(Gif; 20 April 2022)
HiRISE image of Perseverance descent
HiRISE image (cropped) of descent
View up at descent stage from Perseverance.
View of landing from sky crane.
Dust plume from descent stage right after landing (B+W)
View of Perseverance from orbit shortly after landing (HiRISE)
AV-088, the Atlas V 541 rocket, at launch
Artist's rendition of rover
Rover at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab
Helicopter team with Ingenuity
Cruise stage connected to the back shell
Heat shield and back shell to protect the rover
Powered descent stage
Five critical components involved in landing the rover
Top of rover with "Family Portrait" (B+W)
"Family Portrait" decal close-up (with text labels added)[63]
Mars 2020 COVID-19 healthworkers plate
Rover DNA inscription
MOXIE first Martian oxygen production test on 20 April 2021, graph
The full-scale engineering model of NASA's Perseverance rover, OPTIMISM Rover[f]
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