NASA just released incredible footage of the Perseverance rover landing on Mars
(WOLO) – NASA has released video of the Perseverance Mars Rover landing on the planet. It is one-of-kind video that spans about three minutes showing the rover’s descent from the moment the parachute deployed to the rover touching down on the surface.
This is SO cool! Video of @NASAPersevere landing on Mars! #mars2021
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/66sYMsvHZS pic.twitter.com/JXceuA3qKk
— Josh Berry (@_joshberry) February 22, 2021
The video begins from about 12 kilometers off the surface showing parachute deploying above the rover. The heat shield then deploys giving the craft its first look at the surface. It was traveling at 145 meters per second.
The speed of the craft slowed significantly when the landing engines ignited about 2.6 kilometers from the surface. At about 300 meters from the surface it was dropping at 30 meters per second.
The landscape of the landing zone on the surface of Mars, showing the various landing sites of the craft that carried the rover to the planet. (@NASAPersevere)
The video shows the descent engine dropping the rover with what they referred to as a crane system before releasing the rover to the surface.
“Touchdown confirmed,” could be heard before the video switches to the control room and cheers from those involved with mission.
“People were jumping up and down, giddy and ecstatic… a lot of people had put in a lot of effort to make this system work” said Dave Gruel, the Perseverance Entry, Descent, and Landing camera lead.
Your front-row seat to my Mars landing is here. Watch how we did it.#CountdownToMars pic.twitter.com/Avv13dSVmQ
— NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 22, 2021
