New Delhi: American independent space agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Thursday (local time) announced that the Perseverance rover has landed on Mars. "Perseverance rover has safely landed on Mars," NASA said in a tweet. "I am safe on Mars. Perseverance will get you anywhere," said a tweet by NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover. I’m safe on Mars. Perseverance will get you anywhere. #CountdownToMars — NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 18, 2021 Touchdown confirmed. The #CountdownToMars is complete, but the mission is just beginning. pic.twitter.com/UvOyXQhhN9 — NASA (@NASA) February 18, 2021 Welcome to Mars, @NASAPersevere! Congratulations @NASA and @NASAJPL – another successful mission to the Red Planet ❤️? https://t.co/EtVb2f2C5I — SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 18, 2021 Perseverance, which launched on July 30, 2020, will search for signs of ancient microbial life, collect carefully selected rock and regolith (broken rock and dust) samples for a future return to Earth. It will characterise Mars' geology and climate, and pave the way for human exploration beyond the Moon. This is NASA's fifth Mars rover and, if successful, will be the agency's ninth Mars landing. The Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is also carrying along a technology experiment - the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter - which will attempt the first powered and controlled flight on another planet.
