This is not a simulation. The robotic SUV and the crane that lowered it photographed each other and the ground of Mars in a way that made it possible to document the landing as if it were a landing on Earth. NASA: We wanted to share with the public a once-in-a-lifetime experience * Step-by-step landing documentation
NASA has released for the first time a high-quality video of a landing on Mars and again for the first time recordings of Mars as recorded on a Preserverens microphone.
The cabin that covered the Perseverance (Persistence) robotic SUV, the vehicle itself and the crane that lowered it photographed each other and the ground of Mars in a way that made it possible to document the landing as if it were a landing on Earth.
The world’s most intimate view of Mars’ landing begins about 230 seconds after the spacecraft enters the upper atmosphere of the red planet at 20,100 km / h. 46 by 66 cm of nylon, and additional packaging for an inflated canopy 21.5 meters in diameter, the largest canopy ever shipped to Mars. Tens of thousands of kilograms of power that the parachute produces in such a short period of time puts pressure on both the parachute and the vehicle.
“Now we finally have a first-rate look at what we call ‘seven minutes of fear’ as we land on Mars,” said Michael Watkins, director of NASA’s Southern California Jet Jet Laboratory (JPL), which is conducting the mission for the agency. “The explosiveness of the parachute and the light launch of the landing rockets that throw dust and debris when touched, it’s really awe-inspiring.”
The video also shows the heat shield that fell off after protecting the persistence from the high temperatures during its entry into the Martian atmosphere. Looking downwards, a camera is seen swinging the vessel gently like a pendulum with the descent phase, which is constantly attached to it, hanging from the back shell with the parachute. Mars’ landscape grows rapidly as the descent phase – falls free until it slows down with missile engines and then lowers the vehicle on cables to the surface – is released, and its eight thrust engines operate to keep it away from its charge so as not to interfere.
Then, 80 seconds and 2,130 meters later, the cameras capture the descent phase that maneuvers the sky crane over the landing site – the plume of its rocket engines throwing dust and small rocks that have apparently been in place for billions of years.
“We put EDL cameras into the spacecraft not only for the opportunity to gain better insight into our spacecraft’s entry, descent and landing performance, but also because we wanted to take the public on a lifelong journey – landing on Mars,” said Dave Groel, a leading camera engineer The EDL and the microphone system of Mars 2020 (the operation under which Sugar Preservation was launched). “We at JPL know that the public is fascinated by the study of Mars, so we added the EDL Cam microphone to the car because we hoped it would enhance the experience, especially for visually impaired space fans, and encourage people around the world to engage in science, math and engineering.”
Filming ends with the aluminum wheels of perseverance touching the surface at a speed of 2.6 km / h, then blades fired in pyrotechnics disconnect the cables connecting it to the floating descent phase. The descent phase climbs and then accelerates in a pre-planned maneuver.
“If it was an old western movie, I would say the descent stage was our hero as he rides slowly into the setting sun, but the heroes are actually here on Earth,” said Matt Wallace, deputy project manager of Perseverance in March 2020. “I waited 25 “A year for the opportunity to see a spacecraft land on Mars. It was worth the wait. Being able to share the experience with the world is a great moment for our team.”
Five off-the-shelf commercial cameras located on three different spacecraft components took part in the photography. Two cameras on the shell, which protected the Rover on its journey, photographed the inflatable parachute. A camera on the descent platform provided a downward view – including the top of the Rover – while two on the Rover chassis offered upward views (towards the crane) and down to the ground.
The Rover team continues its initial examination of perseverance systems and its immediate surroundings. Among other things, they will test five of Rover’s seven devices and conduct initial weather observations with the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer.
At the same time, NASA released a 360-degree panoramic image of the landing site in the Djero crater by the two cameras placed on the Rover mast – Mastcam-Z that will later provide the highest resolution image on the Perseverance’s orbit.
Taken by the two navigation cameras located on its mast. The six-wheeled robotic astrobiologist, the agency’s fifth rover to land on Mars, is currently undergoing a comprehensive inspection of all its systems and devices.
This video of perseverance is the closest thing you can get to landing on Mars without wearing a pressure suit, “said Thomas Zorobuchen, NASA’s scientific director. “The video is set to become a must-watch for young men and women who not only want to explore other worlds and build the spaceship that will lead them there, but also want to be part of the diverse teams that achieve all the bold goals of our future.”
A key goal in Mars’ perseverance mission is astrobiological research, including the search for ancient microbial signs of life. The Rover will characterize the geology of Mars and past climate change, pave the way for the human exploration of the red planet, and be the first mission to collect and preserve Mars rock samples that will be imported to Earth in the future.
For information on the NASA website
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