NASA's Perseverance rover to explore Martian terrain, search for signs of life

This illustrates Perseverance rover's safe landing on Mars.  Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) begins when the spacecraft reaches the top of the Martian atmosphere, travelling nearly 20,000 kph. (Credit: NASA)

With its heat shield facing the planet, NASA’s Perseverance rover would begin its descent through the Martian atmosphere. Hundreds of critical events must execute for the rover to land on Mars safely. (Credit: NASA)

This image shows NASA’s Mars 2020 spacecraft carrying the Perseverance rover as it approaches Mars. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California built and will manage operations of the rover. (Credit: NASA)

The picture depicts a possible area through which the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover could traverse across Jezero Crater as it investigates several ancient environments that may have once been habitable. (Credit: NASA)

An illustration of NASA’s Perseverance rover exploring inside Mars’ Jezero Crater. The 45-kilometre-wide crater is located on the western edge of a flat plain called Isidis Planitia, which lies just north of the Martian equator. (Credit: NASA)