nasa perseverance rover

Image via Twitter: @NASAPersevere

Mars rover: Watch the Perseverance launch here [live stream]

NASA’s Perseverance rover will embark on its seven-month journey to Mars today. Watch the virtual launch event here.

nasa perseverance rover

Image via Twitter: @NASAPersevere

It’s time! NASA’s Perseverance rover is going to Mars today! Watch the live stream here.

NASA’s Perseverance rover launch: What you need to know

Perseverance liftoff

With local restrictions on public gatherings in place, NASA recommends watching the launch virtually. Virtual viewers will get the same benefits that onsite guests usually have access to.

The car-sized Perseverance rover is ready to take the Mars mission to the next level with a scheduled to launch on Thursday 30 July 2020. The two-hour launch window opens at 13:50 South African Standard Time (SAST).

If anything goes wrong today, the mission has some wiggle room and can be postponed. If Perseverance launches before 15 August, it will still make it to Mars. If not, the mission will have to wait 26 months until Mars and Earth are properly aligned again.

Watch the Perseverance launch here

Virtual launch benefits

Virtual photo booth

One of the benefits of watching the launch virtually is a souvenir photo from the virtual Mars Photo Booth. You can pose next to the mighty Atlas V rocket that will launch the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, strike a pose on Mars.

Why not put yourself next to the rover in the JPL clean room where it was assembled. Just upload your favourite picture, choose a background, and download the new image. Go here for all that fun.

Spacecraft 3D Rover Experience

Zoom in, rotate and twirl around the Perseverance rover in an interactive 3D experience. Click and select different sections to learn all about the science tools and instruments that make up this mighty rover.

Upcoming NASA live streams

30 July 2020

17:30 South African Standard Time (SAST) – Mars 2020 Perseverance post-launch news conference 

Friday 31 July

16:45 to 17:15 – International Space Station Expedition 63 on-orbit crew news conference

Saturday 1 August

15:10 – SpaceX Crew Dragon DM-2 Farewell Ceremony on the International Space Station 
23:15 – Continuous coverage begins for the SpaceX Crew Dragon DM-2 undocking from the International Space Station and Aug. 2 Splashdown.

Sunday 2 August

(SpaceX Crew Dragon DM-2 Splashdown coverage continues with splashdown scheduled at 20:42 SAST)
23:00. – Post-SpaceX Crew Dragon DM-2 Splashdown News Conference (time subject to change) 

Tuesday 4 August

22:30 – SpaceX Crew Dragon DM-2 Crew News Conference (All Channels)

Also read — ExoMars2020: How coronavirus played a part in postponement of Mars mission

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