perseverance

As big as a 4×4, but with 6 wheels, Perserverance weighs more than 1 ton, is 3 meters long, 2.7 meters wide and 2.2 meters high. The space vehicle will also carry with it a drone helicopter which will attempt the first flight of a device on another planet. In the very thin air of Mars, as dense as 1% of the Earth's atmosphere, the aim is to prove the feasibility of the concept. A Rover like the one from Perseverance can only travel 200 metres a day, and has to cope with many obstacles and reliefs. As an example, the American Curiosity, whose design was largely inspired by Perseverance, has only travelled 23 km on the Red Planet since 2012.

Author/Origin: Brian Kumanchik, NASA/JPL-Caltech

Relevant Mission: March 2020

Date Added: June 12, 2020