Mars Exploration Program
Videos
Mars Exploration Program is a long-term effort to explore the planet Mars, funded and led by NASA. Formed in 1993, MEP has made use of orbital spacecraft, landers, and Mars rovers to explore the possi
Mars's thinner atmosphere makes entry, descent, and landing operations of arriving in-situ surface spacecraft more challenging
The often uneven and rocky terrain of Mars makes landing on, and traversing, the planet's surface a significant challenge
The loss of Mars Observer in 1993 prompted the formation of a cohesive Mars Exploration Program
NASA Mars Rover
Mars 2020
Videos
Mars 2020 is a NASA mission that includes the rover Perseverance, the now-grounded small robotic helicopter Ingenuity, and associated delivery systems, as part of the Mars Exploration Program. Mars 20
Sample tubes being loaded into the Perseverance rover
The heat shield (left) and back shell (right) together make up the aeroshell for NASA's Mars 2020 mission. The diameter of each part is about 15 feet (4.5 metres). The rover and its descent stage were enclosed and shielded by the aeroshell during their deep space voyage to Mars and upon entry into the Martian atmosphere, which generated intense heat. The aeroshell was made by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, Colorado, where the photo was taken.
Perseverance rover at JPL
Seven scientific instruments aboard Perseverance