Biden lauds NASA team for giving US 'dose of confidence'

President Joe Biden on Thursday congratulated NASA team responsible for last month’s successful landing of an unmanned rover on Mars and for giving country a “dose of confidence” at a moment when nation's reputation as a scientific leader has been tattered by coronavirus pandemic.

Biden speaking in video conference call with leadership of ncy’s jet propulsion laboratory team expressed awe over Feb. 18 landing of Perseverance.

Perseverance, biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became ninth craft since 1970s to successfully land on Mars, traveling some 300 million miles in nearly seven months, as part of an ongoing quest to study wher re was once life on planet.

“It’s so much bigger than landing Perseverance on Mars," Biden told members of NASA team. “It’s about American spirit. And you brought it back”

Biden watched on television as Perseverance’s touched down on Mars last month and called NASA’s Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk to pass on his congratulations to Perseverance team. But Biden said he wanted to speak directly to team, which he said deserved credit t only for astromical feat but also with boosting United States' reputation at a moment when it's sorely needed.

He recalled that ar nation's leader recently told him that U.S., once seen as competent, saw its standing fall with its response to coronavirus pandemic.

But Biden, who has made stemming a pandemic that has killed nearly 520,000 Americans his top priority, said that Mars landing offered nation a bit of inspiration at a moment when it's sorely needed.

“We can land a rover on Mars, we can beat a pandemic," Biden said. “And with science, hope and vision, re’s t a damn thing we can’t do as a country.”

Perseverence landing comes amid a recent mad dash to Mars among rival programs.

NASA team landing on Feb. 18 marked third visit to Mars in just over a week. Two craft from United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around Mars on successive days earlier in February. All three missions lifted off in July to take advant of close alignment of Earth and Mars.

NASA's car-size, plutonium-powered vehicle arrived at Jezero Crater, hitting NASA’s smallest and trickiest target yet: a 5-by-4-mile strip on an ancient river delta full of pits, cliffs and rocks. Scientists believe that if life ever flourished on Mars, it would have happened 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, when water still flowed on planet.

Over next two years, rover, nicknamed Percy, will use its 7-foot (2-meter) arm to drill down and collect rock samples containing possible signs of bygone microscopic life.

Three to four dozen chalk-size samples will be sealed in tubes and set aside to be retrieved eventually by ar rover and brought homeward by ar rocket ship.

(Im Credit: AP)