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New Mars Rover Prepared for Launch at Cape Canaveral

NASA’s new Mars rover made its last journey on Earth on Tuesday, July 28, moving to a pad ahead of its scheduled launch on Thursday from Florida’s Cape Canaveral.

The rover, Perseverance, will be carried to Mars aboard the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 541 rocket – a journey NASA says will take seven months.

Perseverance is expected to land in the Jezero Crater on Mars on February 18, 2021, according to the mission website, and will explore the planet’s geology, collect samples, and search for “signs of past microbial life.”

Meteorologists said on Wednesday that there was an 80 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for the launch. “Primary weather concerns for launch are cumulus and thick clouds,” NASA said. Credit: NASA via Storyful