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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has just launched its thrusters into deep space for the first time.
Perseverance, the centerpiece of NASA’s $ 2.7 billion Mission March 2020, refined its trajectory towards the red planet with a course correction maneuver on Friday (August 14), 15 days after takeoff of the life hunter rover.
The maneuver, which used eight thrusters on the cruise stage of Perseverance – the vehicle that transports the rover into deep space – was successful, according to members of the mission team. announced via Twitter Friday.
Related: The Mars Perseverance rover mission in photos
My first planned course correction maneuver was a success. I do TCMs on my trip to stay on target for a February 18, 2021 date with Mars. I left Earth over 2 weeks ago and have already traveled over 27 million kilometers. Only ~ 265 million more! #CountdownToMars https://t.co/1PJU9YwxvJ pic.twitter.com/wdvVPHqPvJAug 15, 2020
The Perseverance mission plan calls for five course correction maneuvers to prepare the rover for its precise landing in the Jezero de Mars crater on February 18, 2021. The four remaining engine burns are scheduled to occur on September 28, December 20, February 10 and February 16. (There’s also a save opportunity on February 17 if needed, and a final “contingency” window on February 18, just nine hours before the touchdown.)
Perseverance launched on July 30 on a mission to search for signs of ancient life on Mars inside the 45-kilometer-wide Jezero Crater, which housed a lake and river delta in the ancient past. The rover will also collect and cache samples for future return to Earth, potentially from 2031.
March 2020 will also test new exploration technologies. For example, a small helicopter named Ingenuity goes to the red planet on the rover’s belly and will attempt the very first helicopter flight over a world beyond Earth.
Additionally, one of Perseverance’s instruments, called MOXIE (short for “Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment”), will generate oxygen from the Martian atmosphere dominated by carbon dioxide. A larger-scale version of MOXIE could one day help human pioneers gain a foothold on Mars, NASA officials said. (The agency aims to put boots on the Red Planet in the 2030s.)
Mike Wall is the author of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for extraterrestrial life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
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