ASU scientists helped land rover 'Perseverance' on the surface of Mars

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ASU scientists helped land rover 'Perseverance' on the surface of Mars

https://www.abc15.com/news/state/as...and-rover-perseverance-on-the-surface-of-mars

An Arizona State Professor had a major role in the development of the latest rover to land on Mars.

On Thursday afternoon, NASA successfully landed a rover named "Perseverance" on the surface of Mars. The rover landed in Jezero Crater, a 28-mile wide impact crater where it is believed an ancient lake and delta once sat an estimated 3.5 billion years ago.

The landing, the most critical part of Perseverance's journey, was deemed "7 Minutes of Terror." Seven minutes, the time it takes for the rover to travel from the ends of the planet's atmosphere to the ground itself.

"We’re going to be entering the Martian atmosphere around 12,000-13,000 mph and we need to touch down on the Martian surface at just a couple of miles an hour so we don’t crash," said Rachel Kronyak, JPL Operations System Engineer at NASA. “Perseverance is the most sophisticated and by far the largest rover that we’ve ever sent to Mars.”

Without a hitch, Perseverance landed on Mars successfully and will begin the rest of its lifespan roaming the red planet, looking for evidence of biological life. One of the most important components on the rover responsible for its exploration, the incredible camera-system, Mastcam-Z, that was designed, built and tested by scientists at Arizona State University.

Mastcam-Z is a mast-mounted camera system, the most cameras ever sent to Mars on one rover, that can take high-definition video, panoramic and 3D photos. Leading the Mastcam-Z team is Dr. Jim Bell, a professor at ASU.

More at the link: https://www.abc15.com/news/state/as...and-rover-perseverance-on-the-surface-of-mars
 
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