Timeline of Mars 2020

{{Short description |Event timeline of the NASA Mars 2020 mission}}

File:Mars 2020 selfie containing both perseverance rover and ingenuity.gif of Mars 2020 containing Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter located at the Ingenuity helicopter drop site (7 April 2021)|style= padding: 3px 0; line-height: 1.3em;}} ]]

The Mars 2020 mission, consisting of the rover Perseverance and helicopter Ingenuity, was launched on July 30, 2020, and landed in Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021.{{cite news |last=Chang |first=Kenneth |title=On Mars, a NASA Rover and Helicopter's Year of Surprise and Discovery - The past 12 months on Mars have been both "exciting" and "exhausting" for scientists and engineers minding Perseverance and Ingenuity. And the mission is only really getting started. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/science/mars-nasa-perseverance.html |date=15 February 2022 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=5 February 2022 }} As of {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTDAY}}, {{CURRENTYEAR}}, Perseverance has been on the planet for {{Perseverance Mission Timer}} sols ({{age in days|2021|02|18}} total days; {{Age in years and days|18 FEB 2021}}). Ingenuity operated for {{age in sols|2021|02|18|2024|01|25}} sols ({{age in days|2021|02|18|2024|01|25}} total days; {{Age in years and days|18 February 2021|25 January 2023}}) until its rotor blades, possibly all four, were damaged during the landing of flight 72 on January 18, 2024, causing NASA to retire the craft.{{cite web | url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/after-three-years-on-mars-nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-mission-ends | title=After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends | website=Jet Propulsion Laboratory }}{{Citation |title=NASA Science Live: Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Tribute & Legacy | date=January 31, 2024 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkZ6jkqPMEc |access-date=2024-02-01 |language=en}}

Current weather data on Mars is being monitored by the Curiosity rover and had previously been monitored by the Insight lander.

{{cite news|last=Dvorsky|first=George |date=February 20, 2019|title=You Can Now Check the Weather on Mars Every Day|publisher=Gizmodo|url=https://gizmodo.com/you-can-now-check-the-weather-on-mars-every-day-1832752785|access-date=February 20, 2019}}{{cite web|last=Berger|first=Eric|date=February 20, 2019|title=With the best air pressure sensor ever on Mars, scientists find a mystery |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/02/some-weird-things-are-happening-with-air-pressure-on-mars/|access-date=February 20, 2019|publisher=Ars Technica}} The Perseverance rover is also collecting weather data. (See the External links section)

Overview of mission

= Prelaunch (2012–2020) =

The Mars 2020 mission was announced by NASA on December 4, 2012. In 2017 the three sites (Jezero crater, Northeastern Syrtis Major Planum, and Columbia Hills) were chosen as potential landing locations, with Jezero crater selected as the landing location, and launched on July 30th, 2020, from Cape Canaveral.

= Landing and initial tests (February–May 2021) =

After arriving on February 18, Perseverance focused on validating its systems. During this phase, it used its science instruments for the first time,{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=Perseverance Rover's SuperCam Science Instrument Delivers First Results|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8885/perseverance-rovers-supercam-science-instrument-delivers-first-results|access-date=2021-06-14|website=NASA's Mars Exploration Program|date=March 10, 2021 |language=en}} generated oxygen on Mars with MOXIE,{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover Extracts First Oxygen From Red Planet|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8926/nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-extracts-first-oxygen-from-red-planet|access-date=2021-06-14|website=NASA's Mars Exploration Program|language=en}} and deployed Ingenuity. Ingenuity began the technology demonstration phase of its mission, completing five flights before transitioning to the operations demonstration phase of its mission.

= Cratered floor campaign (June 2021-April 2022) =

File:Perseverance First Two Missions Paths Distinguished.png

The Cratered Floor Campaign was the first science campaign.{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=To Séítah and Back|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/status/351/to-seitah-and-back/|access-date=2021-12-16|website=mars.nasa.gov|date=December 16, 2021 |language=en}} It began on June 1, 2021, with the goal of exploring the Crater Floor Fractured Rough and Séítah geologic units. To avoid the sand dunes of the Séítah unit, Perseverance mostly traveled within the Crater Floor Fractured Rough geologic unit or along the boundary between the two units. The first nine of Perseverance{{'}}s sample tubes were to be filled during this expedition, including the first three 'witness tubes'.{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=NASA's Perseverance Rover Begins Its First Science Campaign on Mars|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8963/nasas-perseverance-rover-begins-its-first-science-campaign-on-mars|access-date=2021-06-13|website=NASA's Mars Exploration Program|date=June 9, 2021 |language=en}}

After collecting the samples, Perseverance returned to its landing site, before continuing to the delta for its second science campaign. Some of the sample tubes filled during this campaign were later stored in a designated area for the upcoming NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return mission, during the Delta Front Campaign.{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=Sample Handling|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/rover/sample-handling/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=mars.nasa.gov|language=en}} While Perseverance embarked on its first science campaign, Ingenuity continued to travel alongside the rover as part of its operations demonstration campaign.{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter to Begin New Demonstration Phase|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8936/nasas-ingenuity-helicopter-to-begin-new-demonstration-phase|access-date=2021-04-30|website=NASA's Mars Exploration Program|date=April 30, 2021 |language=en}} Ingenuity's sixth through twenty-fifth flights were completed during this phase, achieving an at-the-time speed record of 5.5 meters per second.{{Cite web |title=Ingenuity Mars Helicopter - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/ingenuity-mars-helicopter/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=April 8, 2024 |language=en-US}}

= Delta front campaign (April 2022 - January 2023) =

File:Traverse From Seitah to Jezero Delta (PIA25027).jpg

The Delta Front Campaign was the second science campaign of the Mars 2020 mission. The campaign began with Ingenuity continuing to travel alongside the rover as part of its operations demonstration campaign, and Perseverance leaving the rapid traverse mode it had entered at the end of the last mission to rapidly reach the delta.{{Cite web |title=We've Arrived! Perseverance Starts the Delta Front Campaign - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/weve-arrived-perseverance-starts-the-delta-front-campaign/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=April 21, 2022 |language=en-US}} During the campaign, Perseverance would take a further nine samples, in addition to two further witness tubes. Ingenuity would make its 41th flight during this mission. An incident occurred in which Ingenuity was unable to sufficiently charge during the night, leading to a change in how Ingenuity manages its heaters.{{Cite web |title=NASA's Ingenuity in Contact With Perseverance Rover After Communications Dropout - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/ingenuity-helicopter/nasas-ingenuity-in-contact-with-perseverance-rover-after-communications-dropout/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=May 6, 2022 |language=en-US}} The MOXIE experiment continued to run, generating a record amount of oxygen-per-hour on Mars. The campaign concluded with Perseverance reaching the top of the delta and the completion of its first sample depot.{{Cite web |last=mars.nasa.gov |title=Campaign #2: The Delta Front |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/status/377/campaign-2-the-delta-front/ |access-date=2022-04-29 |website=mars.nasa.gov |date=April 27, 2022 |language=en}}

= Upper fan campaign (January 2023 - September 2023) =

The Upper Fan Campaign, also called the Delta Top Campaign, was the third science campaign of the Mars 2020 mission. Whereas prior campaigns investigated areas that are believed to have been submerged in an ancient lake, this campaign investigated one of the riverbeds that used to feed into the lake.{{Cite web |title=NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot |url=https://www.asdnews.com/news/aerospace/2023/01/31/nasas-perseverance-rover-completes-mars-sample-depot |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=www.asdnews.com |language=EN}}{{Cite web |title=Perseverance rover's Mars samples will give scientists chance to study Red Planet back on Earth |url=https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/perseverance-rover-mars-sample-return/ |access-date=2023-06-03 |website=BBC Sky at Night Magazine |date=March 27, 2023 |language=en}} The MOXIE experiment completed its 16th, and final, oxygen generation test during this campaign.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-06 |title=NASA's Oxygen-Generating Experiment MOXIE Completes Mars Mission - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/perseverance-rover/nasas-oxygen-generating-experiment-moxie-completes-mars-mission/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |language=en-US}} Ingenuity completed its 54th flight during this campaign. The helicopter experienced an anomaly that caused it to land outside the range of the rover, but this was ultimately resolved when the rover moved into a position that allowed contact to be restored.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-07 |title=NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Flies Again After Unscheduled Landing - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/ingenuity-helicopter/nasas-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-flies-again-after-unscheduled-landing/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |language=en-US}} The campaign ended with Perseverance reaching the margin carbonate geologic unit,{{Cite web |title=New Milestones Despite Tricky Boulders - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/new-milestones-despite-tricky-boulders/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=September 15, 2023 |language=en-US}} after having taken three further rock samples (and 21 overall).{{Cite web |title=Mars Rock Samples - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/mars-rock-samples/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=April 16, 2024 |language=en-US}}

= Margin campaign (September 2023 - August 2024) =

The Margin Campaign was the fourth of the Mars 2020 mission. The campaign was expected to last around 8 months, although it lasted closer to a year, after which point Perseverance began the Crater Rim Campaign.{{Cite web |last=|title=Within the Margin - NASA |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/status/482/within-the-margin/ |access-date=2023-09-21 |website=mars.nasa.gov |date=September 19, 2023 |language=en}} The campaign gets its name from the geological unit it aims to explore - the margin carbonate unit. Rocks in this unit are capable of containing traces of life, and their formation is tied to the presence of liquid water.{{Cite web |last=|title=Reading the Rocks: The Importance of the Margin Carbonate Unit on Mars - NASA |url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/status/478/reading-the-rocks-the-importance-of-the-margin-carbonate-unit-on-mars/ |access-date=2023-09-21 |website=mars.nasa.gov |date=September 7, 2023 |language=en}}

During the campaign, Ingenuity achieved several records, including a max altitude of 24 meters (flight 61) and a maximum groundspeed of 10 meters per second (flight 62). Unfortunately, due to a failure on the 72nd flight, the helicopter blades became too damaged to fly. On January 25th, 2024, NASA declared the end of Ingenuity's mission - the helicopter's final resting place was named Valinor Hills, after a location in the Lord of the Rings franchise. Despite the loss of Ingenuity's blades, the core of the helicopter remained intact; it will continue to monitor atmospheric conditions for as long as it is able. Perseverance took four further rock samples during this campaign (25 overall). The campaign overlapped with solar conjunction, interfering with the ability to communicate with the rover from Earth.{{Cite web |title=Here Comes the Sun: Perseverance Readies for Solar Conjunction - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/here-comes-the-sun-perseverance-readies-for-solar-conjunction/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=November 13, 2023 |language=en-US}}

Engineers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and AeroVironment are completing a detailed assessment of the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s final flight on January 18, 2024, the first of its kind on an extraterrestrial planet, concluding that the inability of Ingenuity’s navigation system to provide accurate data during the flight likely caused a chain of events that ended the mission.{{Cite web |title=NASA Performs First Aircraft Accident Investigation on Another World |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-performs-first-aircraft-accident-investigation-on-another-world/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) |language=en-US}}

The helicopter’s vision navigation system was designed to track visual features on the surface using a downward-looking camera over well-textured (pebbly) but flat terrain. This limited tracking capability was more than sufficient for carrying out Ingenuity’s first five flights, but by Flight 72 the helicopter was in a region of Jezero Crater filled with steep, relatively featureless sand ripples.

One of the navigation system’s main requirements was to provide velocity estimates that would enable the helicopter to land within a small envelope of vertical and horizontal velocities. Data sent down during Flight 72 shows that, around 20 seconds after takeoff, the navigation system couldn’t find enough surface features to track.

Photographs taken after the flight indicate the navigation errors created high horizontal velocities at touchdown. In the most likely scenario, the hard impact on the sand ripple’s slope caused Ingenuity to pitch and roll. The rapid attitude change resulted in loads on the fast-rotating rotor blades beyond their design limits, snapping all four of them off at their weakest point — about a third of the way from the tip. The damaged blades caused excessive vibration in the rotor system, ripping the remainder of one blade from its root and generating an excessive power demand that resulted in loss of communications.

= Crater rim campaign (August 2024 - present) =

The Crater Rim Campaign is the fifth, currently ongoing science campaign, and the first new science campaign since the loss of the Ingenuity helicopter. It is expected to last until the end of 2024, and will include a total elevation change of over 1000 feet (~300 meters). The main focuses of the campaign are expected to be at the regions "Pico Turquino" and "Witch Hazel Hill", pictured above.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-28 |title=NASA's Perseverance rover has embarked on an ambitious road trip on Mars |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/nasa-perseverance-rover-journey-crater-rim-rcna168616 |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=NBC News |language=en}} It is expected to encounter rocks as old as 4 billion years.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-26 |title=NASA's Perseverance rover begins long climb up Martian crater rim |url=https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/announce/news/perseverance-climbs-crater-rim/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Perseverance Kicks off the Crater Rim Campaign! - NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/blog/perseverance-kicks-off-the-crater-rim-campaign/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=science.nasa.gov |date=August 27, 2024 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-08-14 |title=NASA's Perseverance Rover to Begin Long Climb Up Martian Crater Rim - NASA |url=https://www.nasa.gov/missions/mars-2020-perseverance/perseverance-rover/nasas-perseverance-rover-to-begin-long-climb-up-martian-crater-rim/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |language=en-US}}

Samples cached for the Mars sample-return mission

In the frame of the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return around {{Convert|0.5|kg}} of soil samples along with some Martian gas samples from the atmosphere will be cached. Currently, samples are being cached by Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover on the surface of Mars. Out of 43 sample tubes, 8 are igneous rock sample tubes, 12 are sedimentary rock sample tubes,{{Cite web|title=3rd soil sample tube cached|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/multimedia/raw-images/CCF_0262_0690228858_395ECM_N0080000CACH00200_01_295J|access-date=2021-11-16|website=nasa.gov|language=en}} 1 silica-cemented carbonate rock sample tube, 1 gas sample tube,{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=NASA's Perseverance Plans Next Sample Attempt|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9022/nasas-perseverance-plans-next-sample-attempt|access-date=2021-08-27|website=NASA's Mars Exploration Program|date=August 26, 2021 |language=en}} 2 regolith sample tubes, 3 "witness tubes",{{Cite web|title=Sample Caching Dry Run, 1st sample tube cached|url=https://twitter.com/nasapersevere/status/1413158800517783558|access-date=2021-08-27|website=Twitter|language=en}} with 16 tubes remaining unused as of August, 2024. Before launch, 5 of the 43 tubes were designated "witness tubes" and filled with materials that would capture particulates in the ambient environment of Mars.{{Cite web|last=mars.nasa.gov|title=Perseverance Sample Tube 266|url=https://mars.nasa.gov/resources/26218/perseverance-sample-tube-266|access-date=2021-09-09|website=NASA's Mars Exploration Program|date=September 6, 2021 |language=en}}

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Notes

References

External links

{{cite web|work=Washington University in St.Louis|title=Perseverance (Mars 2020) Analyst's Notebook |url=https://an.rsl.wustl.edu/m20/AN/an3.aspx| publisher=NASA Planetary Data System| date=December 9, 2021| language=en| ref=PDS}}
[https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/weather Current Weather Report] on Mars by the Perseverance rover – [https://cab.inta-csic.es/noticias/meda-ya-funciona-en-marte/18/ MEDA]
([https://twitter.com/MarsWxReport MarsWxReport/temp]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20210406202404/https://twitter.com/MarsWxReport/status/1379530268923600897 1st Report/6apr2021]; [https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8909/nasas-first-weather-report-from-jezero-crater-on-mars/ NASA-1]; [https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-first-weather-report-from-jezero-crater-on-mars NASA-2])
Mars Weather: [https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/weather/ Perseverance]*[https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/weather/ Curiosity]*[https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/weather/ InSight]
[https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/weather/ Current Weather Report] on Mars by the Curiosity rover
[https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/weather/ Current Weather Report] on Mars by the InSight lander
[https://www.nasa.gov/perseverance Perseverance rover: Official website]
[https://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mars2020/ Mars 2020: Official website]
[https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/where-is-the-rover/ Mars 2020: Location Maps]
{{YouTube|5jq9b4FrWCg|Perseverance at Van Zyl (AVideo360; 1:40; Spring 2021)}} ([https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA24663 related site]; [https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/archive/PIA24663_fullres.png 2GB PNG-image])
{{YouTube|4czjS9h4Fpg|Video (03:25) – Mars 2020 – Landing on Mars (18 February 2021)}}
[https://archive.today/20140627092658/https://webcast.stsci.edu/webcast/detail.xhtml?talkid=4006 Video (60:00) – Minerals and the Origins of Life] – (Robert Hazen; NASA; April 2014)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNjuz6MO0eU Video (86:49) – Search for Life in the Universe] – (NASA; July 2014)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRrFRL5v0ig Video (13:33) – Mars Perseverance rover/Ingenuity helicopter report] [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mars-ingenuity-helicopter-perseverance-rover-60-minutes-2021-05-09/ (9 May 2021; CBS-TV, 60 Minutes)]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOplTCgnJFQ Video (03:04) − Exploring Jezero Crater] − (NASA; December 2021)