Follow along as NASA launches the Mars 2020 Mission, perhapsthe most ambitious hunt yet for signs of ancient life on Mars.In February 2021, the spacecraft will blaze into the Martianatmosphere at some 12,000 miles per hour and attempt to lowerthe Perseverance Rover into the rocky Jezero Crater, home to adried-up river delta scientists think could have harbored life.Perseverance will comb the area for signs of life and collectsamples for a possible return to Earth. Traveling onboard is afour-pound helicopter that will conduct a series of testflights—the first on another planet. During its journey,Perseverance will also test technology designed to produceoxygen from the Martian atmosphere in hopes that the gas couldbe used for fuel—or for humans to breathe—on futuremissions.
