NASA prepares to land a rover on Mars
NASA
Posted at 10:07 AM, Feb 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-18 12:07:01-05
GREAT FALLS â Itâs a big day for NASA as the agency prepares to land a rover on Mars for the first time since 2012. Perseverance is serving many purposes, including collecting samples of Martian rock and soil. The rover will also be searching for signs of ancient life. MTNâs Shannon Newth talked with Eric Ianson, the NASA Mars Exploration Program Director, about this historic mission.
The Mars rover launched on July 30, 2020, and is set to land on Mars on Thursday afternoon. According to NASA, the roverâs landing will be the most challenging touchdown on Mars ever attempted by the agency. The landing will conclude a 293 million mile journey by the craft.