Launch: Perseverance's (and Ingenuity) launch occured on July 30, 2020 from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Mars Landing: Perseverance landed in the Jezero Crater on the surface of Mars on February 18, 2021. Scientists believe the Jezero Crater area was once flooded with water and was home to an ancient river delta.

Mission Status: Active Perseverance is currently on Mars. Its mission duration is planned for at least one Mars year (about 687 Earth days)

• Characterize the processes that formed and modified the geologic record within a field exploration area on Mars selected for evidence of an astrobiologically-relevant ancient environment and geologic diversity.

• Perform the following astrobiologically relevant investigations on the geologic materials at the landing site:

  • Determine the habitability of an ancient environment.

  • For ancient environments interpreted to have been habitable, search for materials with high biosignature preservation potential.

  • Search for potential evidence of past life using the observations regarding habitability and preservation as a guide.

• Assemble rigorously documented and returnable cached samples for possible future return to Earth.

  • Obtain samples that are scientifically selected, for which the field context is documented, that contain the most promising samples identified in Objective B and that represent the geologic diversity of the field site.

  • Ensure compliance with future needs in the areas of planetary protection and engineering so that the cached samples could be returned in the future if NASA chooses to do so.

• Contribute to the preparation for human exploration of Mars by making significant progress towards filling at least one major Strategic Knowledge Gap (SKG). The highest priority SKG measurements that are synergistic with Mars 2020 science objectives and compatible with the mission concept are:

  • Demonstration of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies to enable propellant and consumable oxygen production from the Martian atmosphere for future exploration missions.

  • Characterization of atmospheric dust size and morphology to understands its effects on the operation of surface systems and human health.

  • Surface weather measurements to validate global atmospheric models.

  • A set of engineering sensors embedded in the Mars 2020 heat shield and backshell to gather data on the aerothermal conditions, thermal protection system, and aerodynamic performance characteristics of the Mars 2020 entry vehicle during its entry and descent to the Mars surface.

• Prove powered flight in the thin atmosphere of Mars. The Red Planet has lower gravity (about one third that of Earth) but its atmosphere is just 1% as thick, making it much harder to generate lift.

• Demonstrate miniaturized flying technology. That requires shrinking down onboard computers, electronics and other parts so that the helicopter is light enough to take off.

• Operate autonomously. Ingenuity will use solar power to charge its batteries and rely on internal heaters to maintain operational temperatures during the cold Martian nights. After receiving commands from Earth relayed through the rover, each test flight is performed without real-time input from Mars Helicopter mission controllers.

As of the end of June 2021, Perseverance has landed on Mars, recorded sounds from the surface of Mars for the first time, taken photos and panoramas of the Jezero Crater, taken weather measurements, studied rocks, driven on the surface of Mars, recorded Ingenuity flying, and tested the Mars Oxygen instrument (which converts carbon dioxide to oxygen).

• MASTCAM-Z - An advanced camera system with panoramic and stereoscopic imaging capability with the ability to zoom. The instrument also help scientists to assess the mineralogy of the Martian surface and assist with rover operations.

• Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) - A set of sensors that will provide measurements of temperature, wind speed and direction, pressure, relative humidity and dust size and shape.

• Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment (MOXIE) - An exploration technology investigation that will produce oxygen from Martian atmospheric carbon dioxide.

• Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) - An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer that will also contain an imager with high resolution to determine the fine scale elemental composition of Martian surface materials. PIXL will provide capabilities that permit more detailed detection and analysis of chemical elements than ever before.

• Radar Imager for Mars' Subsurface Experiment (RIMFAX) - A ground-penetrating radar that will provide centimeter-scale resolution of the geologic structure of the subsurface.

• Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals (SHERLOC) - A spectrometer that will provide fine-scale imaging and uses an ultraviolet (UV) laser to determine fine-scale mineralogy and detect organic compounds. SHERLOC will be the first UV Raman spectrometer to fly to the surface of Mars and will provide complementary measurements with other instruments in the payload.

• SuperCam - An instrument that can provide imaging, chemical composition analysis, and mineralogy. The instrument will also be able to detect the presence of organic compounds in rocks and regolith from a distance.

Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) - converts heat from the natural radioactive decay of plutonium into electricity (Uses 10.6 pounds (4.8 kilograms) of plutonium dioxide as the source of the steady supply of heat).

This power system charges the rover's two lithium-ion rechargeable batteries to meet peak demands of rover activities when the demand temporarily exceeds the MMRTG's steady electrical output levels.

The heat from the MMRTG is also used to keep the rover's tools and systems at their correct operating temperatures.

Ingenuity will use Solar panel to charge its Lithium-ion batteries, providing enough energy for one 90-second flight per Martian day (~350 Watts of average power during flight) and rely on internal heaters to maintain operational temperatures during the cold Martian nights.