A Mars photo booth, augmented-reality filters, and a virtual launch packet are just some of the ways to celebrate the July 30 launch of the Mars 2020 Perseverance mission.
NASA is
inviting the public to take part in virtual activities and events ahead of the
launch of the agency’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, which is targeted for 7:50 a.m. EDT (4:50
a.m. PDT) Thursday, July 30, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from
Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Live coverage
and countdown commentary will begin at 7 a.m. EDT (4 a.m. PDT) on NASA Television and the agency’s website, as well as YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Daily
Motion, and
Theta.TV. As part of the broadcast, Grammy Award-winning singer and
songwriter Gregory Porter will perform a special rendition of “America the
Beautiful.”
Perseverance
is NASA’s latest Red Planet rover, designed to search for astrobiological
evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars. Following a seven-month journey, it
will land at Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. There, Perseverance will gather
rock and soil samples for future return to Earth. It also will characterize the
planet’s climate and geology and pave the way for human exploration of the Red
Planet. The robotic
scientist, which weighs just under 2,300 pounds (1,043 kilograms), also will carry the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, a technology demonstration that marks
the first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet.
Members of the
public can attend the launch virtually, receiving mission updates and
opportunities normally received by on-site guests. NASA’s virtual launch experience for Mars 2020 Perseverance rover
includes: a behind-the-scenes look at the mission; augmented reality filters;
access to an engaging NASA social community; an invitation to submit videos to
be part of the televised launch broadcast; toolkits for students; a chance to
take a souvenir photo in our Mars Photo Booth; and the
opportunity to send your name to Mars!
“More than 112,000
people registered to be our
virtual guests for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 test flight launch in May, which was
the first time the agency had offered this type of launch experience to the
public,” said NASA Associate Administrator for Communications Bettina
Inclán. “For our Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launch, we hope even more
people will join us as we #CountdownToMars!”
To participate,
members of the public can register to stay up to date on mission
information, mission highlights, and interaction opportunities. To find out
more, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/beourguest
Members of the
public also can share in the journey through a variety of activities,
including:
Virtual NASA
Social
NASA will host a
global “NASA Social,” an opportunity for social media users to get a
behind-the-scenes view of the Perseverance launch. The NASA Social will be held
virtually via a public Facebook group, so people of all ages from all over the
world can request permission to join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the
mission. Registration is open on Facebook. All social applications will be
considered on a case-by-case basis. Live opportunities will begin one day prior
to the launch date. Learn more at:
https://www.nasa.gov/social/countdowntomars
Send Your
Name to Mars, Again!
When
Perseverance launches to Mars, it will carry three dime-size chips with 10.9
million names submitted by people all over the world. Those who already
submitted their names can get a special “Now Boarding” stamp on their
boarding passes and anyone can sign up to send their name on a future Mars
mission at:
https://mars.nasa.gov/participate/send-your-name/mars2020
#CountdownToMars
Be a part of
the countdown to by recording a launch countdown video clip and tagging it on
social media using #CountdownToMars. Selected clips will be featured on NASA
social media or even on launch day during NASA’s launch coverage. Learn more
at:
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/participate/countdown-to-mars/
Virtual
Launch Packet
This
interactive booklet is packed with info about the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover
launch and all the print products for the mission. Flip through the interactive packet, or download a PDF version.
Mars
Photo Booth
While
sharing the Mars launch with friends and family, take a souvenir photo with
NASA’s virtual Mars Photo Booth. You can pose next to the mighty Atlas V rocket
that will launch the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, strike a pose on the Red
Planet, or put yourself next to the rover in the clean room at NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, where the rover was assembled.
Just upload your favorite picture, choose a background, and download the new
image:
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/participate/photo-booth/
Augmented
Reality Filters
Virtually join
our #CountdownToMars with our new Facebook and Instagram Augmented Reality
Filters. Take a virtual trip to Mars with the immersive Put Yourself on Mars
filter, give the official countdown to launch as a flight director with the
Mission Control filter, or bring the mission to any environment with the Mars
Rover 3D filter.
Mars:https://www.instagram.com/ar/270228570705016/
Mission
Control:https://www.instagram.com/ar/694585304450501/
3D Rover:https://www.instagram.com/ar/304928364011381/
Get a Front
Row Seat
Get a free
front row seat to the #CountdownToMars launch broadcast with Oculus virtual
reality technology on Facebook.
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/event/661301651125913/
Spacecraft
3D Rover Experience
Explore the
intricate features of Perseverance with this interactive 3D feature that lets
you zoom, rotate, and mouse over the rover to learn about its various
components:
https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/rover/
Activities
and Lessons for Students
Launch
rockets, build robots, and explore worlds beyond our own! This collection of
projects, toolkit and contests will take you into space without ever leaving
Earth:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/tag/search/Mars
In addition,
a variety of Mars-themed lessons are available from JPL’s education website:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/tag/search/Mars
Mars
2020 STEM Toolkit
Bring the exciting
engineering and science of this mission to students in the classroom and at
home with STEM lessons and do-it-yourself projects covering topics such as
biology, geology, physics, mathematics, engineering, coding and language arts.
https://www.nasa.gov/stem/nextgenstem/moon_to_mars/mars2020stemtoolkit
Ask
Experts Anything
Experts from
NASA, United Launch Alliance (ULA), the Department of Energy (DOE), and more
will answer public questions about the mission in a Reddit Ask Me Anything on
Monday, July 27, at 4:30 p.m. EDT (1:30 p.m. PDT). For updates, check back
regularly at:
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience
Watch and
Engage on Social Media
Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people
know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag
#CountdownToMars. Follow and tag these accounts:
Twitter: @NASA, @NASAPersevere, @NASAMars
Facebook:
NASA, NASAPersevere,NASAMars
Instagram: NASA
NASA Television Coverage
In
addition to social media coverage, NASA Television will air a number of events
leading up to, including, and following the launch. Coverage of the launch
begins at 7 a.m. EDT (4 a.m. PDT) Thursday, July 30.
The
following events currently are scheduled to air live (all times Eastern).
Please check the NASA TV schedule for the latest updates:
Wednesday, July 22
3
p.m. – NASA Science Live: Perseverance Mars Rover & the Search for Ancient
Life
Monday, July 27
1
p.m. – Mars 2020 Pre-Launch News Conference
3
p.m. – Mars 2020 Mission Engineering/Science Briefing
Tuesday, July 28
2
p.m. – Mars 2020 Mars Sample Return Briefing
4
p.m. – Mars 2020 Mission Tech and Humans to Mars Briefing
Thursday, July 30
7
a.m. – Mars 2020 Perseverance launch broadcast
11:30
a.m. – Mars 2020 Perseverance post-launch news conference
Mars 2020 Perseverance is part of America’s larger Moon to Mars
exploration approach that includes missions to the Moon as a way to prepare for
human exploration of the Red Planet. Charged with sending the first woman and
next man to the Moon by 2024, NASA will establish a sustained human presence on
and around the Moon by 2028 through NASA’s Artemis program.
Learn more
about the Mars 2020 mission at:
For more about
America’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, visit:
https://nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars
News Media Contact
Sean Potter
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1536
sean.potter@nasa.gov
2020-145
Source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory