China News Service, June 18, according to foreign media reports, NASA's "Perseverance" Mars probe will be launched on July 20. On the 17th, NASA displayed a commemorative card that will fly to Mars with the "Fortitude" to pay tribute to all medical personnel who fight against the new crown virus around the world.
Image source: Screenshot of the official social media account of NASA's "Fortitude" Mars probe.
According to reports, this black and white aluminum plate is about 13 cm long and 8 cm wide. On the commemorative card, the earth is on top of a snake stick, symbolizing the medical world. In addition, on the commemorative card, there is a spaceship departing from the earth and flying to Mars.
Matt Wallace, deputy project manager of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said that during the preparation process before the launch of the "Fortitude" Mars rover, medical personnel were "on the front line of ensuring our safety."
Wallace said: "I think that during this time, they really inspired us. We hope that this commemorative card and this mission can inspire them in some small way." Some space agency personnel also said that The name "Perseverance" of the rover was given a new meaning after the outbreak.
NASA announced the project in December 2012, and the Mars 2020 mission is scheduled for launch this summer. Due to the relative position of Earth and Mars, the transmitter will only appear every 26 months. If Perseverance does not travel to Mars this summer, the project will have to wait until September 2022 to try again, which will seriously affect the long-term goals of NASA’s Mars exploration program and increase the overall mission risk.
No matter what day the "Perseverance" is launched from July 20 to August 11, it will land in the Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021. Identifying a specific landing date and time goal helps mission planners to better understand the lighting and temperature of the landing site, as well as where to record spacecraft data during descents and landings.