Published 12:34 IST, August 18th 2020
Mars rover Perseverance successfully completes first Trajectory Correction Maneuver
Perseverance the heart of NASA’s $ 2.7 billion Mars mission cleared its route towards the red planet with a trajectory-correction maneuver.
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On August 14, Perseverance heart of NASA’s $ 2.7 billion Mars mission cleared its route towards red planet with a trajectory-correction maneuver, 15 days after it was launched. In cruise phase, rover used eight thrusters to change movement. news of this trajectory correction was shared on twitter by official account of NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover. Sharing this NASA wrote “My first planned Trajectory Correction Maneuver was a success. I do TCMs on my journey to stay on target for a February 18, 2021 date with Mars. I left Earth over 2 weeks ago and already put on 27+ million miles. Only ~265 million more to go”.
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NASA has planned five trajectory correction maneuvers for rover, which will lead it to pinpoint landing inside of Mars’ Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021. four remaining engine burns will take place in coming months. NASA has decided September 28, December 20, February 10, and February 16 for or trajectory corrections. Perseverance was launched on July 30, its mission is to find out ancient Mars life inside 45 kilometers wide Jezero Crater. It will also collect samples for a future return to Earth, which is expected in 2031.
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Rotorcraft flight
Mars 2020 mission will experiment on new exploration techlogies as well. For example, a tiny helicopter named Ingenuity is traveling to mars on rover's belly and will attempt first-ever rotorcraft flight to ar planet. NASA officials said, one of Perseverance's instruments, called Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment will generate oxygen from carbon dioxide-dominated Martian atmosphere. A scaled-up version of MOXIE could one day help human pioneers get a foothold on red planet.
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12:34 IST, August 18th 2020