Rutland columnist Allan Grey asks, as David Bowie did, is there life on Mars? Published: 16:00, 13 March 2021 Rutland columnist Allan Grey asks, as David Bowie did, is there life on Mars and will it be found by the rover Perserverance? âSailors fighting in the dance hall Oh man, look at those cavemen go Itâs the freakiest show. Take a look at the lawman Beating up the wrong guy Oh man, wonder if heâll ever know Heâs in the best selling show Is there life on Mars?â This illustration shows NASAâs Perseverance rover casting off its spacecraftâs cruise stage, minutes before entering the Martian atmosphere. Hundreds of critical events in the roverâs Entry, Descent, and Landing sequence must execute perfectly and exactly on time for the rover to touch down on Mars safely on Feb. 18, 2021.The cruise stage contains fuel tanks, solar panels, and other hardware needed during the trip to Mars. About 10 minutes before atmospheric entry, it separates from the aeroshell, which encloses the rover and descent stage. The aeroshell makes the trip to the surface on its own. Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech