The FINANCIAL — On Feb. 18, 2021, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover makes its final descent to the Red Planet. Here are some of the ways you can take part in this landing.

Now through February 2021:

• Get Your Landing Resources
  Posters, stickers, fact sheets, mission patches and more.
• Ways To Participate
  Try the Photo Booth, Send Your Name on the next mission to Mars, and check out other interactive experiences.
• Watch Online
  Our quick guide to the TV programs coming up you can watch online.
• Mission to Mars Student Challenge
  Get Mars-related webcasts for learners of all ages, along with lessons and activities for students.
• Register for a Virtual Landing Event
  Get notifications about landing opportunities, programming, and other mission information, plus a landing stamp for your virtual passport.
• Virtual NASA Social
  Connect online with other space enthusiasts, ask questions and get answers from NASA experts. Get a special badge to share online or print at home.

On Landing Day, Feb. 18, 2021:

• Tune in to Watch Live
  The NASA TV broadcast from Mission Control starts at 11:15 a.m. PST/2:15 p.m. EST.

After Landing:

• Explore Mars with Perseverance
  As the rover begins its mission at Jezero Crater, visit the mission website for the latest news and images every day.

The Perseverance Rover Landing

Perseverance will touch down on Mars on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at approximately 12:55 p.m. PST (3:55 p.m. EST). During landing, the rover plunges through the thin Martian atmosphere, with the heat shield first, at a speed of over 12,000 mph (about 20,000 kph). A parachute and powered descent slow the rover down to about 2 mph (three-fourths of a meter per second). A large sky crane then lowers the rover on three bridle cords to land softly on six wheels. Landing on Mars is hard. Read all about the rover’s harrowing entry, descent and landing.

Landing at Jezero Crater

The rover’s new home is Jezero Crater, a large impact crater about 28 miles wide (45 kilometers wide) just north of the Martian equator. Jezero once contained a lake, which scientists think is one of the most ideal places to find evidence of ancient microbial life. If life exists anywhere else in our solar system, chances are, it might be at Jezero Crater. The main question Perseverance is trying to answer is: Was there ever ancient life on Mars? To answer that question, the rover will collect and store the most compelling rock and soil samples for return to Earth by a future mission. Once on Earth, scientists can use a variety of sophisticated instruments, many of them too large and bulky to transport to Mars, to help answer this question.

Landing on Mars is Hard

Landing on Mars is challenging. Only about 40 percent of the missions ever sent to Mars – by any space agency – have been successful. Perseverance is only the fifth NASA rover to attempt landing on Mars. Will you be watching? Tune in to our Watch Online page.

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