Mars 2020
NASA mission to Mars seeking signs of past life.
Mars 2020 is a NASA mission under the Mars Exploration Program, consisting of the Perseverance rover, the now-grounded Ingenuity helicopter, and the hardware that got them to Mars. It lifted off on an Atlas V rocket at 11:50:01 UTC on July 30, 2020, and touched down in Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, with confirmation arriving at 20:55 UTC. NASA named the landing site Octavia E. Butler Landing on March 5, 2021. Perseverance continues to explore the Martian surface, while Ingenuity operated for 1,042 sols (1,071 Earth days, or 2 years and 341 days) before suffering rotor blade damage—with NASA confirming damage to at least one blade—leading the agency to retire it on January 25, 2024.
The rover is studying an ancient Martian environment that could have supported life, examining surface geology, past habitability, and the potential for preserved biosignatures. It is caching sample tubes along its route for a future sample-return mission. NASA announced the mission in December 2012 at the American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in San Francisco. Perseverance’s design borrows from the Curiosity rover, using many pre-built components alongside new instruments and a core drill. It carries nineteen cameras and two microphones, and on April 30, 2021, it became the first spacecraft to record audio of another spacecraft—the Ingenuity helicopter—on another planet.
Mars 2020 was the third of three missions launched toward Mars in the July 2020 window, following the United Arab Emirates’ Hope orbiter (July 19, 2020) and China’s Tianwen-1 mission (July 23, 2020), which included an orbiter, cameras, a lander, and the Zhurong rover.
The mission’s announcement surprised some scientists, who questioned NASA’s continued focus on Mars amid budget constraints. California Representative Adam Schiff supported advancing the launch for a larger payload, and science educator Bill Nye endorsed the sample-return goal as “extraordinarily fantastic and world-changing.” The rover seeks signs of ancient habitable conditions and microbial life, and the Science Definition Team initially proposed collecting up to 31 rock and soil samples for later return. By 2015, plans expanded to gather more samples, distributed in caches across the surface. In September 2013, NASA invited instrument proposals, including the Sample Caching System, and selected the science pay
- launch_date
- July 30, 2020
- landing_date
- February 18, 2021
- landing_site
- Jezero crater, named Octavia E. Butler Landing on March 5, 2021
- mission_type
- Mars rover and helicopter
- agency
- NASA
- key_components
- Perseverance rover, Ingenuity helicopter, cruise stage, EDLS
Quick Facts
- Mission Type
- Mars exploration
- Operator
- NASA · JPL
- Satcat
- 45983
- Mission Duration
- Planned: 1 Mars year (668 sols, 687 Earth days) · Perseverance: February 18, 2021 · show=ymd (since landing) · Ingenuity: April 3, 2021 · January 25, 2024 · show=ymd (final)
- Manufacturer
- JPL
- Launch Mass
- 4060.5 kg
- Launch Date
- 30 July 2020, 11:50:00 UTC
- Launch Rocket
- Atlas V 541 (AV-088)
- Launch Site
- Cape Canaveral, SLC-41
- Launch Contractor
- United Launch Alliance
- Insignia Caption
- NASA and JPL insignias (Perseverance)
- Crew Photo
- Mars Helicopter JPL insignia.svg
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Mars 2020 mission was announced by NASA in December 2012 at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. The selection of Mars as the target elicited surprise from some members of the scientific community, with some criticizing NASA for continuing to focus on Mars exploration instead of other Solar System destinations in constrained budget times. Support came from California U.S. Representative Adam Schiff, who was interested in advancing the launch date, and science educator Bill Nye endorsed the sample-return role. Perseverance's design is derived from the rover Curiosity, using many components already fabricated and tested in addition to new scientific instruments and a core drill. The rover employs nineteen cameras and two microphones, allowing for audio recording of the Martian environment. On April 30, 2021, Perseverance became the first spacecraft to hear and record another spacecraft, the Ingenuity helicopter, on another planet.
Reader's Guide
Mars 2020 represents a significant step in NASA's Mars Exploration Program, focusing on astrobiology and preparation for future human exploration. The mission seeks signs of habitable conditions in the ancient past and evidence of past microbial life, while also caching up to 31 samples of rock cores and surface soil for a potential later retrieval by a Mars sample-return mission in collaboration with ESA. The rover's improved precision landing technology, including Terrain Relative Navigation, allowed a landing inside a 7.7 km × 6.6 km ellipse with a positioning error within 40 m, a marked improvement over previous missions. The mission also demonstrates technology for producing oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide and characterizes environmental hazards for future astronauts. As of September 9, 2026, Perseverance has been on Mars for 1974 sols (2029 total days; 5 years, 203 days), while Ingenuity operated for 1042 sols before sustaining serious rotor blade damage and being retired on January 25, 2024.
Did You Know?
- Mars 2020 was the third of three space missions sent toward Mars during the July 2020 launch window, after the UAE's Hope orbiter and China's Tianwen-1 mission.
- On April 30, 2021, Perseverance became the first spacecraft to hear and record another spacecraft (Ingenuity) on another planet.
- The landing site was named Octavia E. Butler Landing on March 5, 2021.
- Ingenuity operated on Mars for 1042 sols before sustaining serious damage to its rotor blades, possibly all four, leading to its retirement on January 25, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mars 2020?
Mars 2020 is NASA's Mars Exploration Program mission that delivered the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter to the Red Planet. It launched atop an Atlas V rocket on July 30, 2020, and touched down in Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021.
What is Mars 2020's primary goal?
The mission is designed to hunt for traces of ancient microbial life by exploring the geological features of an old river delta in Jezero Crater. It also seals and caches rock and soil samples intended for a future return-to-Earth campaign.
Where did Mars 2020 land?
Perseverance and Ingenuity set down in Jezero Crater, a site NASA officially designated Octavia E. Butler Landing on March 5, 2021. The crater was selected because its layered deposits hint at a long-ago lake and river system.
What happened to the Ingenuity helicopter?
Ingenuity logged 1,042 sols (1,071 Earth days) of powered flight before rotor blade damage grounded it. It was originally built for just five short test hops but went on to serve as a long-running aerial scout for the rover.
Why is Mars 2020 important?
It marks the first step in a multi-mission effort to bring Martian rock cores back to Earth for detailed laboratory study. It also proved that sustained helicopter flight is possible on another planet, a first in the history of spaceflight.
More in Astrobiology space missions 1-24
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