NATIONAL (KRQE) – NASA’s Perseverance rover launched on July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida with the goal of landing on Mars to explore the site and to access the location’s ancient habitability and search for signs of ancient life. According to NASA, Perseverance’s other key objectives are to gather rock and soil samples that could be returned to Earth on a future mission.

The rover, which is car-sized, landed at the Jezero Crater on Mars on February 18, 2021. Perseverance sends back the latest raw images from its location.

NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:39:51. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:39:51. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:39:51. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:39:51. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:39:51. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 12:49:10. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 12:49:10. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:39:51. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:36:37. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:39:51. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:29:39. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 12:52:16. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 11:46:25. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:27:00. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:29:39. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover’s mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on Mar. 3, 2021 (Sol 12) at the local mean solar time of 13:27:00. (courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech)