Mars

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by Tim Gault

A Mars rover is a motor vehicle that travels across the surface of the planet Mars upon arrival. Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers:

• they examine more territory,

they can be directed to interesting features and….

• they can place themselves in sunny positions to weather winter months.

As of February 2021, there have been five successful robotically operated Mars rovers, all managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Sojourner, Opportunity, Spirit, Curiosity, and Perseverance.

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• Perseverance, nicknamed Percy, is a car-sized Mars rover designed to explore Jezero Crater on Mars

• Launched on 30 July 2020 at and successfully landed on Mars on 18 February 2021

• Goals include identifying ancient Martian environments capable of supporting life, and seeking out evidence if microbial life existed.

• Opportunity, also known as MER-B (Mars Exploration Rover – B) or MER-1, and nicknamed "Oppy".

• Active on Mars from 2004 until the middle of 2018.

• Due to the planetary 2018 dust storm on Mars,

• Opportunity ceased communications, suggesting either a catastrophic failure or that a layer of dust had covered its solar panels. 

• A car-sized Mars rover designed to explore the Gale crater on Mars

• The rover's goals include an investigation of the Martian climate and geology,

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