On July 30, 2020, NASA sent Perseverance on its journey, Thursday, February 18th, it will land on Mars! I know you are not at school but I wanted to share this with you. The STEM unit 3rd - 5th graders just started goes hand in hand with this. Two weeks ago you guys did some research and planning for a spacecraft and its mission to another planet in our solar system. Obviously, years of work have gone into this mission and I thought you guys would appreciate it. You can watch the landing using the link below or on television, several stations will be broadcasting. At 1:15 pm (central time) the live broadcast will begin and the landing should be at 2:55 pm. I have also added some activities at the bottom of the page in case you are bored and want something to do. :)

This is the press release about the event.

NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover will land on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. Perseverance is the most sophisticated rover NASA has ever sent to the Red Planet, with a name that embodies NASA’s passion, and our nation’s capability, to take on and overcome challenges. It will collect carefully selected and documented rock and sediment samples for future return to Earth, search for signs of ancient microbial life, characterize the planet’s geology and climate, and pave the way for human exploration beyond the Moon.

Perseverance is also ferrying several cutting-edge technologies to the surface of Mars – including a helicopter named Ingenuity, the first aircraft to attempt powered, controlled flight on another planet.