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Mars: Perseverance Mission

Photo of Dr. Larry Crumpler"The Perseverance mission to Mars follows up on the tremendous success of previous rover missions to Mars. Those missions identified key markers for ancient environments on Mars that were potentially habitable by microorganisms. This mission will visit a classic river delta on Mars. Similar to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science’s walk through time exhibits, Perseverance will rove through sediments deposited by a river in the ancient past on Mars in search of actual signs of past organic materials associated with life. It will test exciting new technologies such as a Mars helicopter and a method for the production of oxygen necessary for future human missions to Mars. This will be the last great Mars surface mission for several years and promises to be a grand geological field trip."- Dr. Larry Crumpler, Research Curator NMMNHS, Science Team Member of the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mission.

Guide to Perseverance Mission (pdf)- Download this document to learn more about the Perseverance Rover Mission 

Perserverance, Mars, and Space Science Coloring Sheeets- Follow this link to our many Space Science Coloring Sheets and Activity Sheets

Brief Guide to Mars (pdf)- Use this guide, produced by Museum geologists, as a quick summary and introduction to the Mars mission and fun fact about Mars.


As we wait for the landing on Mars on February 18, 2021, explore the many Mars themed activities, tool kits, and resrouces available through NASA by clicking the bold descriptions below: 
  • Landing toolkit
  • Landing resources
  • Mission trailer -Animation depicts key events during entry, descent, and landing that will occur when NASA’s Perseverance rover lands on Mars February 18, 2021. In the span of about seven minutes, the spacecraft slows down from about 12,100 mph (19,500 kph) at the top of the Martian atmosphere to about 2 mph (3 kph) at touchdown in an area called Jezero Crater.
  • Mission to mars student challenge- Mission to mars student challenge. 
  • Mars Perseverance 3D model-Download a file to make your own 3D model.
  • Mars helicopter- "Take off" with the Ingenuity helicopter and see what it will do on Mars. 
  • Mars helicopter 3D model-Interact with the Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, in 3D on this website or download a file to make your own 3D model.
  • Mars Perseverance-  General Mars Perseverance website. Everything you ever wanted to know about Perseverance and its mission.
  • Learn about the rover -Explore this 3D visualization of the rover on this website and learn about its instruments and components. 
  • Mars Photobooth-Upload an image of yourself and/or your family with the Perseverance rover.
  • Mars Sounds-Listen to the way Earth sounds sound on Mars and get ready to hear what Mars really sounds like after Perseverance lands with its two on-board microphones.
  • Explore Mars- Test drive a rover around Mars in the "Explore Mars" driving game. 
  • JPL Mars ActivitiesClassroom and out of school activities for teachers and students.
  • Mars24- NASA's Mars24 software displays a Mars sunclock, a graphical representation of the planet Mars showing its current daytime and nightsides. Download the program on your computer to show local time at specific site(s) on Mars and the changing location of the terminator on the planet.
  • NASA Eyes: Perseverance- Interacticve Mars2020 entry, descent, and landing. View this process from every direction, speed it up or slow down the descent, and see what landing on Mars will look like for the Perseverance rover.

Click the thumbnails below to view full jpgs of the fact sheets and activity sheets produced by NASA:

 

Perseverance Fact Sheet English (2 pages)

Perseverance Fact Sheet Spanish (2 pages)

 

Perseverance Ingenuity Artist Conception (front/back)

Ingenuity Fact Sheet (2 pages)

 Perseverance Sticker English (front and back)

Perseverance Sticker Spanish (front and back)

Perseverance Sticker Spanish Back

Perseverance Ingenuity Coloring Sheet

Coloring Sheet for Ingenuity

 

 

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