Perseverance is the name of a NASA's Mars rover mission that was launched in July 2020 and landed on Mars in February 2021.
It is the latest of a series of Mars rovers sent by NASA, and its main objective is to search for signs of past microbial life and to collect samples of Martian rock and soil to be returned to Earth by a future mission.
The Perseverance rover carries several scientific instruments and technologies to help it achieve its mission objectives, such as:
- Mastcam-Z, a camera system that will be used to create 3D stereoscopic images of the Martian surface.
- PIXL, an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer that will be used to identify the elemental composition of rocks and soil.
- SHERLOC, a spectrometer that will be used to search for water-bearing minerals on the Martian surface.
- SuperCam, a camera, laser, and microphone system that will be used to study the geology and potential biosignatures of Martian rocks and soil.
The Perseverance rover also carries a helicopter called Ingenuity, which will fly through the thin Martian atmosphere and test the feasibility of powered flight on other planets.
The Perseverance mission is one of the most ambitious and complex missions to Mars ever attempted by NASA. Its scientific payload and technologies are expected to greatly enhance our understanding of the planet's geology, atmosphere, and potential for past or present microbial life. It's a step forward to the exploration of Mars and to pave the way for the eventual human exploration of the Red Planet.