Perseverance

A Mars rover investigating ancient environments and collecting carefully documented samples.

Perseverance landed in Jezero crater on 18 February 2021. The crater once contained a lake and a river delta, environments that help researchers study the planet’s past habitability. The rover examines rocks with cameras, spectrometers and other instruments and seals selected samples. Evidence of habitability is not a discovery of life.

Milestones

• 2020 · Launch
• 2021 · Jezero landing
• 2021 · First sample cached
• 2023 · Sample depot completed