Mission To Mars: Successful Launch of Perseverance!

news image
Top Stories
30 Jul 2020 6:00 AM
And...it's off! NASA's next mission to Mars was a "go" Thursday morning at 7:50 AM ET from Cape Canaveral, FL! https://twitter.com/i/status/1288804582143987712 NASA RECAPS LAUNCH AND EXPLAINS NEXT MISSION TO MARS The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket and Mars 2020 mission with the Perseverance rover sit on Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral at sunset. Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE ATLAS V ROCKET AND PERSEVERANCE FROM THE LAUNCH PAD "From this retired Navy pilot, to those who will fly Ingenuity over the landscape of Mars, your flights and performance really will change the universe and we can’t wait to see what we learn from this." Tom Zelibor, CEO of the Space Foundation. The Perseverance Rover Mission was meticulously crafted over the last decade, named to encompass the "spirit of overcoming challenges." https://twitter.com/i/status/1288504563599720448 "We are a species of explorers, and we will meet many setbacks on the way to Mars," said Alex Mather, a student at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia who wrote an essay in the contest to 'Name the Rover.'  "Perseverance means that in the inevitable setbacks that we’re going to face on the way to Mars, humans won’t give up." The goals during the mission include searching for possible signs of life as well as learning more about the planet's history, climate, geology, and weather. https://twitter.com/i/status/1288798509907562497 It's taken years to craft the weather observation system that will be aboard this mission, and I spoke with Dr. Leslie Tamppari, Deputy Project Scientist, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to learn more about it! https://youtu.be/62iUgmcENx8   Seven Things to Know About the Mars 2020 Perseverance Mission “55 years ago we got a quick image as the spacecraft rushed by, now we can contemplate evaluating samples, and collecting them and bringing them back to Earth," said Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's Associate Administrator. https://twitter.com/i/status/1288549859616849920 "Personally, having worked on Mars Curiosity, I think the most fantastic thing about these missions is that every day, you drive a few hundred meters, you look around, and you see something fascinating," said Michael Watkins, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Perseverance is one of several upcoming missions.  NASA's Artemis progam is set to take the next man and the first woman to the Moon by 2024.  The two programs will look into the challenges of and help us prepare for the next giant leap, human exploration of the Red Planet, taking our curiosity further into space than ever before. https://twitter.com/i/status/1285286848881926145 “We are building what is necessary to make more discoveries, learn more about our solar system, learn more about our own galaxy and universe than we’ve ever been able to learn before," said James Bridenstine, NASA's Administrator.  "This mission is yet another example of that history in the making." https://youtu.be/lswy52CK9RA  
All Weather News
More
Ophelia Brings Tropical Storm Conditions to the East Coast

Ophelia Brings Tropical Storm Conditions to the East Coast

Tropical Storm Ophelia formed in the Atlantic

23 Sep 2023 3:05 AM
Stormy Weekend for Drought Stricken High Plains

Stormy Weekend for Drought Stricken High Plains

After a stormy day Friday that produced big h

23 Sep 2023 2:00 AM
Flood & Storm Risk this Weekend for Texas & Oklahoma

Flood & Storm Risk this Weekend for Texas & Oklahoma

After a summer of mainly dry and super hot co

23 Sep 2023 12:55 AM
Happening this Weekend: Asteroid Samples Come Back to Earth

Happening this Weekend: Asteroid Samples Come Back to Earth

Above - stereoscopic images provides a 3D vie

22 Sep 2023 7:00 PM
More Snow for the Rockies

More Snow for the Rockies

ROCKIES - It's September in the Rockies and w

22 Sep 2023 1:25 PM
Fall Forecast: Where Leaves Are Changing

Fall Forecast: Where Leaves Are Changing

Have the leaves started changing where you li

22 Sep 2023 11:00 AM
Tornado threat for Dallas, Additional Severe Storms in the Plains

Tornado threat for Dallas, Additional Severe Storms in the Plains

Severe storms will be likely across the South

21 Sep 2023 8:45 PM