Launch Date : July 30, 2020
Landing Date : Feb. 18, 2021
Location: Jezero Crater, Mars
The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover will search for signs of ancient microbial life, which will advance NASAs quest to explore the past habitability of Mars. The rover has a drill to collect core samples of Martian rock and soil, then store them in sealed tubes for pickup by a future mission that would ferry them back to Earth for detailed analysis. Perseverance will also test technologies to help pave the way for future human exploration of Mars.
Strapped to the rovers belly for the journey to Mars is a technology demonstration — the Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, may achieve a "Wright Brothers moment “ by testing the first powered flight on the Red Planet.