Photo illustration of the Perseverance rover on Mars. Courtesy of NASA
Thereâs a new rocket man in town. NASA s Perseverance rover touched down on Mars earlier this year, thanks to operator and Western alumnus Raymond Francis.
Perseverance is designed to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient life. The rover touched down Feb. 18, joining its predecessor â the Curiosity rover â which aims to find signs of habitability.
According to Francis, a Western University PhD graduate and current science operations engineer at NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Perseverance is set to unravel mysteries surrounding the likelihood and history of life on the red planet.Â