From Mason to Mars: One local tech firm's role in sending rover Perseverance to the Red Planet When the rover Perseverance landed on the surface of Mars Thursday afternoon, it was the first time NASA had sent one in a decade. And the space agency couldn't have done it without the work of one Tri-State technology firm. and last updated 2021-02-18 19:33:14-05 MASON, Ohio â When the rover Perseverance landed on the surface of Mars Thursday afternoon, it was the first time NASA had sent one in a decade. And the space agency couldn't have done it without the work of one Tri-State technology firm.