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More Information, launch More Information, landing sites Next slide

More Information, launch More Information, landing sites Next slide

The Mars 2020 mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions

The Mars 2020 mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential for life on Mars. More Information Next slide

Mars 2020 will carry seven carefully-selected instruments to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology

Mars 2020 will carry seven carefully-selected instruments to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet. More Information Next slide

NASA is examining options to launch a robotic mission as soon as 2026 to

NASA is examining options to launch a robotic mission as soon as 2026 to pick up rock specimens from the surface of Mars and bring them back to Earth. More Information Next slide

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The mission is timed for a launch opportunity in July/August 2020 when Earth and

The mission is timed for a launch opportunity in July/August 2020 when Earth and Mars are in good positions relative to each other for landing on Mars. That is, it takes less power to travel to Mars at this time, compared to other times when Earth and Mars are in different positions in their orbits. To keep mission costs and risks as low as possible, the Mars 2020 design is based on NASA's successful Mars Science Laboratory mission architecture, including its Curiosity rover and proven landing system. Atlas V Rocket More Information, landing sites Return

More Information, landing sites Return

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It's hard to land on Mars, and even harder to land a rover close

It's hard to land on Mars, and even harder to land a rover close to its prime scientific target. Previous rovers have landed in the general vicinity of areas targeted for study, but precious weeks and months can be used up just traveling to a prime target. The Mars 2020 mission team is working on a strategy to put the rover on the ground closer to its prime target than was ever before possible. The Range Trigger technology reduces the size of the landing ellipse (an oval-shaped landing area target) by more than 50%. The smaller ellipse size allows the mission team to land at some sites where a larger ellipse would be too risky given they would include more hazards on the surface. That gives scientists access to more high priority sites with environments that could have supported past microbial life. More Information, landing sites Return

FINAL THREE LANDING SITES At the third landing site workshop for the Mars 2020

FINAL THREE LANDING SITES At the third landing site workshop for the Mars 2020 rover mission on Feb. 810, 2017, a team of scientists narrowed down the list of potential places where NASA's Mars 2020 rover may land. Three sites were selected to continue as landing site candidates: Columbia Hills, Gusev Crater: Home to Mars rover Spirit Jezero Crater: Wet and Dry and Wet Again NE Syrtis: Once Warm, and Wet Return

The mission takes the next step by not only seeking signs of habitable conditions

The mission takes the next step by not only seeking signs of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past, but also searching for signs of past microbial life itself. The Mars 2020 rover introduces a drill that can collect core samples of the most promising rocks and soils and set them aside in a "cache" on the surface of Mars. A future mission could potentially return these samples to Earth. That would help scientists study the samples in laboratories with special room-sized equipment that would be too large to take to Mars. The mission also provides opportunities to gather knowledge and demonstrate technologies that address the challenges of future human expeditions to Mars. These include testing a method for producing oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, identifying other resources (such as subsurface water), improving landing techniques, and characterizing weather, dust, and other potential environmental conditions that could affect future astronauts living and working on Mars. Return

Mars 2020 will carry an entirely new subsystem to collect and prepare Martian rocks

Mars 2020 will carry an entirely new subsystem to collect and prepare Martian rocks and soil samples that includes a coring drill on its arm and a rack of sample tubes. About 30 of these sample tubes will be deposited at select locations for return on a potential future sample-retrieval mission. In laboratories on Earth, specimens from Mars could be analyzed for evidence of past life on Mars and possible health hazards for future human missions. More Information Return

Mastcam-Z—panoramic & stereoscopic imaging RIMFAX—ground penetrating radar for geologic study MEDA—temperature, wind speed, humidity

Mastcam-Z—panoramic & stereoscopic imaging RIMFAX—ground penetrating radar for geologic study MEDA—temperature, wind speed, humidity SHERLOC—UV laser for mineralogy MOXIE—investigate how to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide SUPERCAM—imaging, chemical composition analysis, & mineralogy PIXL—detailed detection & analysis of chemical elements Return

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is a proposed mission to return samples from the surface

Mars Sample Return (MSR) is a proposed mission to return samples from the surface of Mars to Earth. The mission would use robotic systems and a Mars ascent rocket to collect and send samples of Martian rocks, soils and atmosphere to Earth for detailed chemical and physical analysis. The earliest date planned for MSR is 2026, although the exact launch date hasn’t been determined yet. Return