NASA Is Launching An Alien-Seeking Mars Rover And It Even Has A Trailer
Video screenshot via NASA
NASA is ready to launch its fifth Mars Rover, called Perseverance, this month in search of chemical remnants of ancient microbial life. The space agency even released an animated trailer, summing up the mission.
The nuclear-powered robot will be sent to Mars’ Jezero Crater to collect audio, footage, and drill samples of rock and soil to seek chemical signatures that find evidence of extraterrestrial life.
The exposed Jezero Crater is one of the largest impact craters on the Red Planet. The space agency hopes to mine them to study them later on Earth, as rocks that are formed in water possibly contain the remains of chemicals created by life.
“Samples from Mars have the potential to profoundly change our understanding of the origin, evolution, and distribution of life on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system,” director of NASA’s planetary science division Lori Glaze stated in a briefing, per Business Insider.
The rover is set to launch at 7.50am ET and 4.50am PT on 30 July 2020. The event, called Roving the Red Planet, will be streamed live on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
NASA also released a minute-long trailer to help the masses understand the mission in a bite-sized animated format. Catch the animated trailer regarding the mission below.
Was there once life on Mars? 👀
— NASA (@NASA) July 26, 2020
Our @NASAPersevere rover aims to find out during her @NASAAstrobio mission on the Red Planet! Lift off is set for July 30. 🚀 In the meantime, join our #CountdownToMars and learn more about this historic launch: https://t.co/o9UbeDsu4E pic.twitter.com/UtxDqpeEBl
[via Business Insider, cover image via NASA]
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