we're flying on mars
NASA celebrates unprecedented Perseverance landing on Mars
While Texas is in the depths of a historic freeze, some spacey Texans are celebrating a major cosmic milestone. NASA — and Johnson Space Center in Houston — are toasting the landing of Perseverance, the amiable roving vehicle, on Mars.
The reliable rover, nicknamed “Percy,” touched down on the rocky Red Planet at approximately 2:55 pm on Thursday, February 18, to cheers at JSC and at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which is spearheading the mission.
Hello, world. My first look at my forever home. #CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/dkM9jE9I6X
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 18, 2021In a harrowing descent, described by NASA tech crews as “seven minutes of terror,” the rover plunged through the thin Martian atmosphere at more than 12,000 mph. A 70-foot parachute and powered descent slowed the rover to about 2 mph before a “sky crane maneuver,” and soft landing at Mars’ Jezero Crater.
Importantly, the intrepid Perseverance is carrying the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter – that will attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet. Aside from undertaking crucial experiments and sample collections, the first order of business is ensuring that Perseverance is “healthy,” said NASA Perseverance staffer, Jessica Samuels, on NASA TV.
“If there’s one thing we know, it’s that landing on Mars is never easy,” said NASA associate administrator for Communications Marc Etkind, in a statement. “But as NASA’s fifth Mars rover, Perseverance has an extraordinary engineering pedigree and mission team. We are excited to invite the entire world to share this exciting event with us!”
Starry-eyed Texans can watch the developments live on NASA TV online.
