Mars Unbarred

As Perseverance gets it bearings on the red planet, data is beginning to filter in from the probe itself, the lander and the orbiting Mars probes Odyssey and HiRise which assisted in the landing operation, by coordinating the approach and choice of landing site, in the crucial seven minute automatic descent.

With JPL and NASA providing unrestricted access to the imagery and cameras following every stage of the manoevre, it is possible to see amazing coverage of the landing with a birds eye view from the SkyCrane and a distant view of the lander descending by parachute onto the surface.

With the rover safely confirmed to be settled in its initial spot, the multitude of checks and status reports are being carried out, before the rover can begin its quest. The image above from the front Hazard Avoidance Camera, slung beneath the front of the chassis, shows the view ahead after the removal of the protective dustcap. Over the next few days, the solar panels will begin topping up the batteries for the rover and its small helicopter passenger, Ingenuity. All the cameras on the rover are fully High Definition and video will be recorded in colour and at 4k, so as the mission progresses, the view will be spectacular.
 

Once more life begins to imitate art and ideas which resided purely within the realms of science fiction are rapidly becoming everyday fact. Can we begin to hope that this unrivalled access to the planet may uncover signs that life may have existed on our near neighbour ?