7 Minutes to Mars: NASA's Perseverance Rover Attempts Most Dangerous Landing Yet

All landings on Mars are difficult, but NASA's Perseverance rover is attempting to touch down in the most challenging terrain on Mars ever targeted.

The intense entry, descent, and landing phase, known as EDL, begins when the spacecraft reaches the top of the Martian atmosphere. Engineers have referred to the time it takes to land on Mars as the "seven minutes of terror."

The landing sequence is complex and targeting a location like Jezero Crater on Mars is only possible because of new landing technologies known as Range Trigger and Terrain-Relative Navigation.

The Perseverance rover is set to land on the surface of Mars on February 18, 2021.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

[tomdougherty]

I can remember back to Viking in 1976, when they spent months determining a safe, flat area to put the two landers down. They made it to essentially flat areas. Now with the advances in image recognition, computer hardware and software, Perseverance can try for the challenging sites that offer so much for science and exploration. Great work, and good luck with the landing!!

[garyo]

I worked at JPL for 11 years and worked on 3 rovers plus other stuff. I was there for curiosity's landing. We were all full of tears because we worked on it for 6 years. It's an amazing feeling to watch your baby land in one peice.

[dhimanroy]

I just Salute thousands thousands times to all the engineers behind the Rover. What an awesome technology during landing! It's not only your mission but also the whole humankinds'

[Semeyaza]

This descent maneuver is simply insane! There are no words to convey the utmost respect I have for the people involved in designing and realizing it. Simply put: KUDOS!

[mashtali]

during our lives, it's a privilege to see this and passing by Pluto a few years ago. going near Pluto was beyond dream. I cried when I saw that.

[ZeroGravityStudios]

When a NASA musical makes you shed tears, you feel momentous and insignificant at the same time. Weird!

[kaeliecochranengelhart]

“Perseverance, ” as her name, was an outstanding choice from the first, but I believe it has a depth of meaning that we may appreciate more fully now. Like every part of her journey, she’s a marvel of human ingenuity. Incredibly, brilliantly, beautifully inspiring. Godspeed, gorgeous!

[ReinhardB]

This landing protocol is absolutely insane! I love the fact that it already worked with Curiosity! Good luck!

[MrThunderbeast]

Nailed it! Launching a rover and sending it three hundred million miles through space for a seven month journey, hitting a moving target in exactly the spot they were shooting for. Unfreakingbelievable!

[Annkeo]

Congratulations! Very cool! Nice to see only the scientists and engineers, not politicians, celebrating in the mission control room.

[muqeetsoheb]

This gave me more GOOSEBUMPS than any other "movie trailer" ever.

[aipilot]

The landing always scares me. I remember watching MER A and B land and thinking they would never make it.

[kennysmusicalcabaret]

This is the coolest woman ever !, she talked down the lander as if it was a stroll in the park so calm collected and knowledgeable .

[JJs_playground]

Good luck, *Perseverance* .
I'm so glad there are intelligent humans that can figure out all this stuff.

[stevenattaway]

Earth: "We are excited about this mission."

Martians: "WE'RE BEING INVADED!!"

[mahadlodhi]

Ooh so excited for the landing and everything that would follow

[lipun_panda]

This is how real engineering looks like. As a student wanting to get into software engineering, I am really curious about the navigation software.

[scooter]

Space the final frontier. These are the voyages of spacecraft from Earth.who's continuing missions are the boldly go where no one has gone before.Thank you Gene! It's all coming true and it's so cool

[MajorBorris]

Congratulations to the NASA and JPL team, Earth is proud of you and everyone who supported the project.

[terryamstutz]

I am so "pumped" about this! Took a vacation off work so I can follow this online.