So soon! A new NASA rover is landing on Mars! 6:45 seconds until atmospheric entry. Watch here!!! https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2021/2/17/22286229/nasa-mars-perseverance-rover-mars-landing-live-stream-mission

The rover, Perseverance, has to land itself on Mars. Mars is too far away to pilot it remotely. Once it starts its descent, NASA's engineers will have to hold their breaths and wait to learn if it landed safely.

Just under 2 minutes to entry!!!!

ahhhhhhhh .... so exciting

The "seven minutes of terror" where engineers have to wait for the rover to land itself is just moments away.

Here it goes!

The rover and all its gizmos are too heavy to land on the planet via parachutes alone. (Mars’s atmosphere is thinner than Earth’s to begin with, so parachutes are less effective there.) It has to be slowed downed with a powered (rocket) descent.

When Perseverance is just above the surface, the 2,260-pound rover will be lowered gently from the rocket via what NASA’s engineers call a “sky crane.”

just waiting

"The parachute has deployed!"

The parachute slows it down some. But not enough. The powered descent will bring it to a stop.

ABOUT TO CONDUCT SKY CRANE MANEUVER