Timeline Of Mars 2020

The Mars 2020 mission, along with its rover ''Perseverance'' and helicopter ''Ingenuity'', was launched from Earth on July 30, 2020. On February 15, 2022, The New York Times provided an overview of the Mars 2020 mission events since the landing in Jezero crater on Mars in February 2021. As of , , ''Perseverance'' has been on the planet Mars for sols ( total days; ').

Current weather data on Mars is being monitored by the ''Curiosity'' rover and the ''Insight'' lander.
The ''Perseverance'' rover is also collecting weather data. (See the External links section)

Overview of mission

Prelaunch (2012–2020)

* 4 December 2012: Mars 2020 mission announced by NASA.
* 8–10 February 2017: Workshop held to discuss eight proposed landing sites for the mission. The three sites chosen were Jezero crater, Northeastern Syrtis Major Planum, and Columbia Hills.
* 30 July 2020: Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral.

Landing and initial tests (February–May 2021)

After arriving on February 18th, ''Perseverance'' focused on validating its systems. During this phase, it used its science instruments for the first time, generated oxygen on Mars with MOXIE, and deployed ''Ingenuity''. ''Ingenuity'' began the technology demonstration phase of its mission, completing five flights before transitioning to the operations demonstration phase of its mission.
* 18 February 2021: Landing in Jezero crater on Mars.
* 20 February 2021: ''Perseverance'' records the first audio from the surface of another planet.
* 4 March 2021: ''Perseverance'' rover's first test drive.
* 5 March 2021: NASA named the ''Perseverance'' rover landing site "Octavia E. Butler Landing".
* 3 April 2021: Deployment of ''Ingenuity''.
* 8 April 2021: NASA reported the first MEDA weather report on Mars: for 3–4 April 2021, the high was "minus-7.6 degrees, and a low of minus-117.4 degrees ... indsgusting to ... 22 mph".
* 19 April 2021: First major flight test of ''Ingenuity''.
* 20 April 2021: MOXIE made 5.37 g of oxygen gas from carbon dioxide on its first test on Mars
* 22 April 2021: Second flight test of ''Ingenuity''
* 25 April 2021: Third flight test of ''Ingenuity''.
* 30 April 2021: Fourth flight test of ''Ingenuity''.
* 7 May 2021: Fifth flight test of ''Ingenuity''. First one-way flight on Mars. ''Ingenuity's'' mission transitions from being a technology demonstration to being an operations demonstration.
* 22 May 2021: Sixth flight test of ''Ingenuity'', first of the operations demonstration. A glitch with the navigation system caused the helicopter to land 5 meters away from its intended landing site.

Cratered floor campaign (June 2021-April 2022)

The Cratered Floor Campaign was the first science campaign. It began on 1 June 2021, with the goal of exploring the ''Crater Floor Fractured Rough'' and Séítah geologic units. To avoid the sand dunes of the Séítah unit, ''Perseverance'' will mostly travel within the ''Crater Floor Fractured Rough'' geologic unit or along the boundary between the two units. The first of ''Perseverance''s sample tubes are planned to be filled during this expedition.

After collecting the samples, ''Perseverance'' will return to its landing site, before continuing to the delta for its second science campaign. At some point, it will store the filled sample tubes in a designated area for the upcoming NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission. While ''Perseverance'' embarked on its first science campaign, ''Ingenuity'' continued to travel alongside the rover as part of its operations demonstration campaign.

* 1 June 2021: ''Perseverance'' begins its first science campaign.
* 8 June 2021: Seventh flight of ''Ingenuity''.
* 21 June 2021: Eighth flight of ''Ingenuity''. The “watchdog issue”, a recurring issue which occasionally prevented ''Ingenuity'' from taking flight, is fixed.
* 5 July 2021: Ninth flight of ''Ingenuity''. This flight is the first to explore areas only an aerial vehicle can, by taking a shortcut over the Séítah unit. The sandy ripples of the Séítah unit would prove too difficult for ''Perseverance'' to travel through directly.
* 7 July 2021: To test its sampling system, the rover ran one sample tube through inspection, sealing and storing and the attempt was successful. Up to this point, the rover has now used 1 of its 43 sample tubes.
* 24 July 2021: Tenth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
* 4 August 2021: Eleventh flight of ''Ingenuity''.
* 5-6 August 2021: ''Perseverance'' attempted to acquire its first sample from the ancient lakebed by drilling out "finger-size cores of Martian rock for return to Earth." This attempt did not succeed, as the rock sampled was not sufficiently consolidated to produce an intact core and has turned to dust. Up to this point, the rover has now used 2 of its 43 sample tubes. Later on, the mission team confirmed that though soil samples were not cached, but in this process the rover cached the gas samples of the martian atmosphere in it, being the first gas samples cached by the rover.
* 16 August 2021: Twelfth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*1 September 2021: A second sampling attempt on a rock, named "Rochette", was successful.
*4 September 2021: Thirteenth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*8 September 2021: A third sampling attempt, also on Rochette, was successful.

*27 September 2021: ''Perseverance'' records the first audio of a dust devil passing over the rover, along with air pressure data and imagery of the event.
*1 to 14 October 2021: Mars Solar Conjunction.
*24 October 2021: Fourteenth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*6 November 2021: Fifteen flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*15 November 2021: A sample was taken from the Brac Outcrop in the South Séítah Unit.
*21 November 2021: Sixteenth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*24 November 2021: Another sample was taken from the Brac Outcrop.
*5 December 2021: Seventeenth flight of ''Ingenuity''. Full data from the flight was not received until later, as Ingenuity initially landed in an area which prevented communication with the rover.
*15 December 2021: Eighteenth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*18 December 2021: A sample was taken from Issole in the South Séítah Unit.
*29 December 2021: ''Perseverance'' attempted to take another sample from Issole, but was unable to successfully cache it.
*31 January 2022: The failed sample attempt from Issole was abandoned, and a new, successful sample attempt was made on Issole.
*8 February 2022: Nineteenth flight of ''Ingenuity''. It had been planned for earlier, but a dust storm in the area caused delays.
*25 February 2022: Twentieth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*7 March 2022: A sample was taken from Sid in the Séítah Unit.
*10 March 2022: Twenty-first flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*13 March 2022: A second sample was taken from Sid in the Séítah Unit.
*20 March 2022: Twenty-second flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*24 March 2022: Twenty-third flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*28 March 2022: Perseverance enters rapid traverse mode, where it will remain for the rest of the science campaign.
*3 April 2022: Twenty-fourth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
*8 April 2022: Twenty-fifth flight of ''Ingenuity''. This flight went faster than all previous flights, at a speed of 5.5 meters per second. It also travelled 704 meters, which was farther than all previous flights.
*13 April 2022: ''Perseverance'' arrives at the Jezero Delta.

Delta front campaign (April 2022 - January 2023)

The Delta Front Campaign was the second science campaign of the Mars 2020 mission. ''Ingenuity'' continued to travel alongside the rover as part of its operations demonstration campaign. After ''Perseverance'' traversed to the top of the delta, it began the third science campaign - the Delta Top Campaign.

* 18 April 2022: ''Perseverance'' officially begins the Delta Front Campaign.
* 19 April 2022: Twenty-sixth flight of ''Ingenuity''.
* 21 April 2022: ''Perseverance'' leaves rapid traverse mode.
* 23 April 2022: Twenty-seventh flight of ''Ingenuity''.
* 27 April 2022: NASA released images of the backshell that detached from the vehicle containing the ''Perseverance'' rover (and companion ''Ingenuity'' helicopter) during the landing phase on Mars in February 2021. The backshell and associated parachute were found about a mile from the landing site and images were taken by the companion helicopter during its 26th flight.
* 3 May 2022: NASA loses contact with ''Ingenuity'' due to it running out of power during the night.
* 5 May 2022: Contact with ''Ingenuity'' is regained. To avoid depleting the power, ''Ingenuity'''s heaters will not activate when battery temperature drops below -15° Celsius. ''Ingenuity'' instead will turn off all electronics when the temperature drops below -40°.
*22 August 2022: MOXIE produced a peak of per hour of oxygen. This represented a new record for Martian oxygen production! The team surpassed the design goal of per hour by over . The peak rate was held for 1 minute of the 70 minutes oxygen was produced during the run.
* 5 November 2022: ''Perseverance'' at Yuri Pass in Jezero Crater.
* 23 November 2022: NASA reported that the Perseverance rover was now in an area within Jezero crater where life-friendly molecules were found in nearly every rock studied but, so far, no sign of an expected lake bed at this location.
* 21 December 2022: ''Perseverance'' begins making the first sample depot.
* 29 January 2023: The first sample depot is completed.

Delta top campaign (January 2023 - present)

The Delta Top Campaign is the third, currently ongoing science campaign of the Mars 2020 mission. Whereas prior campaigns investigated areas that are believed to have been submerged in an ancient lake, this campaign will investigate one of the riverbeds that used to feed into the lake.

* 30 March 2023: ''Perseverance'' collects the first sample of the Delta Top Campaign.
* 13 April 2023: ''Ingenuity'' completes its 50th flight.
*8 June 2023: ''Perseverance'' rover – Quadrant Themes - Gale Crater

Samples cached for the Mars sample-return mission

In the frame of the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return around of soil samples along with some Martian gas samples from the atmosphere will be cached. Currently, samples are being cached by Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover on the surface of Mars. Out of 43 sample tubes, rock sample tubes cached-15, gas sample tubes cached-1, regolith sample tubes cached: 2, witness tubes cached-3, tubes due to be cached-22. Before launch, 5 of the 43 tubes were designated “witness tubes” and filled with materials that would capture particulates in the ambient environment of Mars.

Location and Current Status

File:MarsPerseveranceRover-LandingSite-20210218.png,

Overview map of the ''Perseverance'' rover
(18 February 2021)

File:Perseverance rover location map.jpg,

Close-up map of the ''Perseverance'' rover
(18 February 2021)

File:MarsPerseveranceRover-PossibleRoutes-20210305.jpg,

Mars ''Perseverance'' rover – possible routes for exploration and study

File:NASA Briefing 15.09.2022 28m50s.png,

Potential rover paths from the Enchanted Lake west to the rim of Jezero crater as of September 2022

File:PIA24483-MarsPerseveranceRover-OctaviaEButler-LandingSite-20210305.jpg,

Octavia E. Butler Landing In Jezero Crater
(5 March 2021)

File:Perseverance rover track and Ingenuity Helicopter Flight Zone.jpg,

''Perseverance'' rover track and ''Ingenuity'' helicopter flight zone seen after rover had reached Van Zyl Overlook

File:Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Traverse Path And Ingenuity Helicopter Flight Path (including sampling locations).png, ''Ingenuity'' helicopter flight path and ''Perseverance'' Traverse Path showing their current locations
Live link
File:Perseverance Distance Graph.svg, The distance traveled over time of ''Perseverance'' and ''Ingenuity''
File:26035 Map-of-Ingenuitys-Ninth-Flight-Path.jpg, 26035 Map-of-Ingenuitys-Ninth-Flight-Path
File:Perseverance enters Séítah on sol 201.jpg, Perseverance enters Séítah on sol 201
File:PIA24837-MarsPerseveranceRover-ViewFromSpace-MRO-HiRISE-20210928.jpg, ''Perseverance'' rover viewed from space
(28 September 2021)
File:26339 PIA24977 Flight Profile for Ingenuity's Flight 15.jpg, Flight Profile for Ingenuity's Flight 15
File:PIA25068-MarsDustStorm-JezeroCrater-20220109.jpg, Dust storm on Mars - Jezero crater (white circle) (9 January 2022)
Perseverance and Ingenuity wait out the solar conjunction.png, Location before 2021 solar conjunction

File:PIA25685-MarsPerseveranceRover&IngenuityHelicopter-20230226.png, Ingenuity helicopter at "Airfield Theta"
(26 February 2023)
File:PIA25687-MarsPerseveranceORIngenuityGR-20230323.gif, ''Perseverance'' (orange) and ''Ingenuity'' (green)
(anim; 23 March 2023)

''Perseverance'' rover near ancient river delta

File:PIA24922-Mars-PerseveranceRover-RouteToDelta-20220915.jpg, Route To Delta
File:PIA24923-Mars-PerseveranceRover-DeltaFront-20220915.jpg, Delta Front
File:PIA25212-MarsPerseveranceRover-DeltaView-20220411.jpg, Delta view
(11 April 2022)
File:PIA25215-MarsPerseveranceRover-DriveToDelta-20220409.gif, Drive to Delta
(Gif; 9 April 2022)
File:PIA24924-Mars-PerseveranceRover-DeltaSamplingLocations-20220915.jpg, Delta Sampling Locations
File:PIA24925-Mars-PerseveranceRover-SkinnerRidge-20220915.jpg, Skinner Ridge
File:PIA24928-Mars-PerseveranceRover-WildcatRidge-Sampling-20220804.jpg, Wildcat Ridge Sampling Location
(4 August 2022)
File:PIA25243-Mars-PerseveranceRover-FutureSampleDropoff-20220829.jpg, Future Sample Dropoff Location
(29 August 2022)
File:PIA25244-Mars-PerseveranceRover-FutureDrivePaths-20220915.jpg, Future Drive Paths to crater rim
File:PIA25339-MarsPerseveranceRover-YuriPass-JezeroCrater-20221105.jpg, Yuri Pass - Sample Area
(5 November 5, 2022)

Gallery

Self-portraits

Videos

File:Jezero Crater Formation by asteroid impact.webm, Jezero Crater Formation by asteroid impact (animation)
File:NASA-MarsLanding-PerseveranceRover-18Feb2021-20201221.webm, Entry, descent, and landing ( EDL) on Mars (animation)
File:PIA24743-MarsPerseveranceRover-DriveView-20210701.webm, Mars ''Perseverance'' rover - drive view
(1 July 2021)
File:PIA25799-MarsPerseveranceRover-2yrVideo20210304-20230216.webm, Mars ''Perseverance'' rover - 2-year drive
(17 February 2023)

Images

''Perseverance'' rover on Mars

File:Perseverance's first photo.jpg, First image received after landing (BW photo)
File:Perseverance's First Full-Color Look at Mars.png, First color photo
File:MarsPerseveranceRover-CalibrationTarget-20210220.png, Mastcam-Z Calibration target
File:PIXL seen on Mars from the left Navcam on Perseverance.png, PIXL seen on Mars from the left Navcam
File:PIA24484-MarsPerseveranceRover-FirstStudyTarget-20210222.jpg, ''Perseverance''s first study target
File:PIA23729-MarsPerseveranceRover-DriveTest-20210307.jpg, Rover test drive
(7 March 2021)
File:SuperCam Callibration Target.png, SuperCam calibration target with Mars meteorite
File:PIA24261-MarsPerseveranceRover-SHERLOC-CalibrationTarget-20201208.jpg, SHERLOC calibration target
File:PIA24485-MarsPerseveranceRover-OctaviaEButlerLanding-DeltaSediment-20210222.jpg, Delta sediment remnant
File:Pixl Callibration Target.png, PIXL Calibration target
File:PIA24747-MarsPerseveranceRover-ArtubyOutcrop-20210617.jpg, Artuby outcrop
(17 June 2021)
File:PIA24748-MarsPerseveranceRover-PaverRocks-20210710.gif, Examining "paver rocks"
(10 July 2021)
File:PIA24746-MarsPerseveranceRover-CraterFloorFracturedRough-20210708.jpg, "CraterFloorFractRough"
(8 July 2021)
File:PIA24745-MarsPerseveranceRover-PaverRocksArea-20210715.jpg, "CraterFloorFractRough"
(15 July 2021)
File:PIA24813-Mars-JezeroCrater-ScarpA-20210417.jpg, Jezero crater - Scarp A
(17 April 2021)
File:PIA25042-MarsPerseveranceRover-GardeRock-SHERLOC-20210918.jpg, Garde rock-SHERLOC
(18 September 2021)
File:PIA25043-MarsPerseveranceRover-GardeRock-Close-SHERLOC-20210918.jpg, Garde rock-SHERLOC
(18 September 2021)
File:PIA24940-MarsPerseveranceRover-DourbesRock-WATSON-20211105.jpg, Dourbes rock-WATSON
(5 November 2021)
File:PIA25041-MarsPerseveranceRover-DourbesRock-PIXL.jpg, Dourbes rock-PIXL
(5 November 2021)
File:PIA25171-MarsPerseveranceRover-Tracks-20220317.jpg, ''Perseverance'' looks back at its tracks
(17 March 2022)
File:PIA25214-MarsPerseveranceRover-ParachuteFound-20220406.jpg, Parachute found
(6 April 2022)
File:PIA25179-MarsPerseveranceRover-PhobosSolarEclipse-20220420.gif, Phobos Solar Eclipse
(Gif; 20 April 2022)
File:PIA25884-MarsPerseveranceRover-IngenuityHelicopter-BelvaCrater-20230422.jpg, ''Perseverance'' viewed by ''Ingenuity'' at Belva Crater (22 April 2023)

''Ingenuity'' helicopter's flights on Mars

''Ingenuity'' helicopter on Mars

''Ingenuity'' deployment and pre-flight operations on Mars

Landing

File:HiRISE Captured Perseverance During Descent to Mars.jpg, HiRISE image of ''Perseverance'' descent
File:HiRISE Captured Perseverance During Descent to Mars (cropped).jpg, HiRISE image (cropped) of descent
File:Mars Perseverance EUF 0001 0667022672 630ECV N0010052EDLC00001 0010LUJ01.png, View up at descent stage from ''Perseverance.''
File:Perseverance Landing Skycrane.jpg, View of landing from sky crane.
File:PIA24425-MarsPerseveranceRover-SmokePlumeFromDescentStageAfterLanding-20210218.jpg, Dust plume from descent stage right after landing (B+W)
File:PIA24334 Percy-Full-Res-No-Contrast.jpg, View of ''Perseverance'' from orbit shortly after landing (HiRISE)
, image1=PIA24435-Mars-IngenuityHelicopter-VanZylOverlook-20210323.jpg , caption1=

Flight zone and rover locations

, width1=240 , image2=PIA24494-Mars-IngenuityHelicopter-FlightZoneMap-20210323.jpg , caption2=

Flight zone map

, width2=185 , image3=PIA24495-Mars-IngenuityHelicopter-RoverFlightZoneView-20210323.jpg , caption3=

Rover view of flight zone

, width3=260 , image4=PIA24496-Mars-IngenuityHelicopter-FlightZoneActivities-20210323.jpg , caption4=

Flight zone activities

, width4=205 , footer=

Launch

File:KSC-20200730-PH-AWG04 0005.jpg, AV-088, the Atlas V 541 rocket, at launch

Prelaunch

File:Mars 2020 Rover - Artist's Concept.png, Artist's rendition of rover
File:PIA23499-Mars2020Rover-FirstTestDrive-20191217b.jpg, Rover at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab
File:PIA23317-Mars2020Helicopter-Team-20190730.jpg, Helicopter team with ''Ingenuity''
File:Mars 2020 checking connections between the spacecraft's back shell and cruise stage PIA-23163.jpg, Cruise stage connected to the back shell
File:Mars 2020 Heat Shield Mated to Back Shell.jpg, Heat shield and back shell to protect the rover
File:PIA23886-MarsPerseveranceRover-LaunchConfig-03-20200429.jpg, Powered descent stage
File:PIA24128-Mars-Mars2020-PerseveranceRover-20201015.jpg, Five critical components involved in landing the rover

Other images

File:MarsPerseveranceRover-FamilyPortrait-AndMore-20210225.jpg, Top of rover with "Family Portrait" (B+W)
File:MarsPerseveranceRover-FamilyPortrait-20210225.jpg, "Family Portrait" decal close-up (with text labels added)
File:PIA23921-MarsPerseveranceRover-HonoringHealthcareWorkers-20200617.jpg, Mars 2020 COVID-19 healthworkers plate
File:Rover DNA Inscription.jpg, Rover DNA inscription
File:MOXIE first martian oxygen production test graph.jpg, MOXIE first Martian oxygen production test on 20 April 2021, graph
File:The full-scale engineering model of NASA's Perseverance rover, OPTIMISM Rover.jpg, The full-scale engineering model of ''Perseverance'', OPTIMISM rover
File:PIA25651.jpg, Regolith sampling tested by OPTIMISM
File:PIA25590.jpg, ''Perseverance rover's sampling bits''

Wide images

See also

* Astrobiology
* Composition of Mars
* ''Curiosity'' rover
* Exploration of Mars
* Geography of Mars
* Geology of Mars
* ''InSight'' lander
* List of missions to Mars
* List of rocks on Mars
* Mars Exploration Rover
* ''Mars Express'' orbiter
* ''Mars Odyssey Orbiter''
* Mars Orbiter Mission
* ''Mars Pathfinder'' (''Sojourner'' rover)
* ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter''
* Mars 2020 rover mission
* ''MAVEN'' orbiter
* Moons of Mars
* ''Phoenix'' lander
* Robotic spacecraft
* Scientific information from the Mars Exploration Rover mission
* Space exploration
* Timeline of Mars Science Laboratory
* U.S. Space Exploration History on U.S. Stamps
* Viking program
* Water on Mars

Notes

References

External links

*

Current Weather Report
on Mars by the ''Perseverance'' rover �
MEDA
**
MarsWxReport/temp1st Report/6apr2021NASA-1NASA-2

** Mars Weather
''Perseverance''''Curiosity''''InSight''


Current Weather Report
on Mars by the ''Curiosity'' rover

Current Weather Report
on Mars by the ''InSight'' lander

''Perseverance'' rover: Official website

Mars 2020: Official website

Mars 2020: Location Maps
*
related site2GB PNG-image

*

Video (60:00) – ''Minerals and the Origins of Life''
– (Robert Hazen; NASA; April 2014)

Video (86:49) – ''Search for Life in the Universe''
– (NASA; July 2014)

Video (13:33) – Mars ''Perseverance'' rover/''Ingenuity'' helicopter report(9 May 2021; CBS-TV, 60 Minutes)

Video (03:04) − Exploring Jezero Crater
− (NASA; December 2021)

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