Mars 2020 Mission: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Lifts Off, Begins 7-Month Journey to the Red Planet | Watch

The Mars Perseverance rover has been expected to land on Mars on February 18, 2021.

After a long wait, NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover has finally lifted off aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The Mars Perseverance rover has been expected to land on Mars on February 18, 2021.

The lift-off took place at 7.50 a.m. EDT, equivalent to 5.20 p.m. IST. Watch the video here:

🚀 We have LIFTOFF to Mars! The @ulalaunch Atlas V takes flight with our @NASAPersevere rover. The #CountdownToMars continues as Perseverance begins her 7-month journey to the Red Planet! pic.twitter.com/3RTL1CR4WS

— NASA (@NASA) July 30, 2020

The rocket has separated from the first stage and is being boosted to orbit by the Centaur second stage. @NASAPersevere is now preparing for a second burn that will put it on a trajectory towards Mars. #CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/MBRqcxMTdw

— NASA (@NASA) July 30, 2020

The duration of the mission has been expected to be at least one Mars year which is 687 days on Earth. Mars 2020 is Nasa’s 9th mission there, at a cost of almost $3 billion!

Perseverance is designed to search for astrobiological evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars. Its job is also to seek signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for a possible return to Earth. Further, it will demonstrate technology for future robotic and human exploration.

As per reports, the Mars Perseverance Rover is 10 feet long and weighs about 1,025 kilograms with a speed of about 0.1-miles per hour.

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said, “We know that we’re going to make discoveries with the Mars Perseverance rover that are going to make us ask a whole lot more questions, just like every previous discovery. This is unlike any robot that we’ve sent to Mars before because it has the purpose of astrobiology. We are trying to find evidence of ancient life on another world.”

Watch the live coverage of the event