Hello, world. My first look at my forever home. #CountdownToMars
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NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
@NASAPersevere
NASA Mars rover, exploring since February 2021. Hobbies: Photography, collecting rocks, off-roading. 
Team HQ (Verification: nasa.gov/socialmedia)
Team HQ (Verification: nasa.gov/socialmedia)NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover’s Tweets
I’m safe on Mars. Perseverance will get you anywhere.
#CountdownToMars
Your front-row seat to my Mars landing is here. Watch how we did it.
#CountdownToMars
An open horizon, with so much to explore. Can’t wait to get going.
#CountdownToMars
The moment that my team dreamed of for years, now a reality. Dare mighty things.
#CountdownToMars
You wouldn’t believe what I just saw.
More images and video to come...
#MarsHelicopter
go.nasa.gov/ingenuity
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I’m on the move! Just took my first test drive on Mars, covering about 16 feet (5 meters). You’re looking at the very beginning of my wheel tracks. Many more to make.
Safe on Mars.
Not one to brag, but this is pretty momentous. By dropping this one tube to the ground, I’ve officially started setting aside samples that Mars Sample Return could bring back to Earth someday.
Learn more: go.nasa.gov/3WzZ5qF
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Ingenuity, the Mars Helicopter I carry, is working as expected. I’m currently charging it, but once I set it down, it’ll rely solely on its solar panels. If it survives the brutally cold Martian nights, the team will attempt flight. go.nasa.gov/3dtLvSm #CountdownToMars
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I love rocks. Look at these right next to my wheel. Are they volcanic or sedimentary? What story do they tell? Can’t wait to find out.
#CountdownToMars
mars.nasa.gov/mars2020
Today I witnessed history. Now you can too. You’re watching video of the #MarsHelicopter’s first flight – a true “Wright brothers” moment.
Watch it all unfold:
✅ Spin-up
✅ Takeoff
✅ Hover
✅ Turn
✅ Landing
Read more: go.nasa.gov/3edNn0u
While the helicopter is getting ready, I can’t help checking out nearby rocks. This odd one has my science team trading lots of hypotheses.
It’s about 6 inches (15 cm) long. If you look closely, you might spot the row of laser marks where I zapped it to learn more.
I’ve continued driving to scout a spot where I’ll drop off the Mars Helicopter, if the area gets certified as a flight zone. So far, about 230 feet (70 meters) of wheel tracks behind me.
See my latest location: go.nasa.gov/where-is-perse
Miss my landing? Catch the highlights below.
Send us your own highlights too. Share your pictures and video using #CountdownToMars.
A quick test of my steering, and things are looking good as I get ready to roll. My team and I are keen to get moving. One step at a time.
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I’m taking it all in. This is the first 360º view of my home using Mastcam-Z. This dual, high-definition camera system sits atop my mast and has zoom capability. Inspect tiny details of Jezero Crater with the special interactive viewer at go.nasa.gov/2P0fNC4 #CountdownToMars
This week I’ve been doing lots of health checkouts, getting ready to get to work. I’ve checked many tasks off my list, including instrument tests, imaging, and getting my arm moving. Warming up for a marathon of science.
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A moment of respect for the descent stage. Within two minutes of safely delivering me to the surface of Mars, I caught the smoke plume on one of my Hazcams from its intentional surface impact — an act that protected me and the scientific integrity of my landing site.
Two bots, one selfie. Greetings from Jezero Crater, where I’ve taken my first selfie of the mission. I’m also watching the #MarsHelicopter Ingenuity as it gets ready for its first flight in a few days. Daring mighty things indeed.
Images: go.nasa.gov/2RaUBKF
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Away goes the debris shield, and here’s our first look at the helicopter. It’s stowed sideways, folded up and locked in place, so there’s some reverse origami to do before I can set it down. First though, I’ll be off to the designated “helipad,” a couple days’ drive from here.
Every picture tells a story. This one captures me in midair, floating over Mars while hanging from my parachute during the final #CountdownToMars.
Latest update and images: go.nasa.gov/2NFb0W3
Here goes! Lighting the engines on my “jetpack” for final descent. Wheels down in less than a minute.
#CountdownToMars
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Radar locked and cameras on. Looking for a safe spot for touchdown. About to cut free from a perfectly good parachute. I’m all in.
#CountdownToMars
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This is it. I’m entering the top of the Mars atmosphere. No looking back. Seven minutes to touchdown.
#CountdownToMars
Many have asked: Is that a rainbow on Mars? No. Rainbows aren't possible here. Rainbows are created by light reflected off of round water droplets, but there isn't enough water here to condense, and it’s too cold for liquid water in the atmosphere. This arc is a lens flare.
The #MarsHelicopter is really “spreading its wings” now – even pushing beyond my camera's field of view. Watch my view of Flight #3, as Ingenuity takes off on a long run (164 ft/50 m) down its flight zone and back. go.nasa.gov/3ewRa9m
Where am I now? Check out this interactive map to zoom in and explore my landing site:
go.nasa.gov/where-is-perse
And for the ground level view, my first images are here, with many more to come in the days ahead:
go.nasa.gov/perseverance-r
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Dear , congratulations on arriving at Mars! In the words of the poet Al Mutanabbi:
إذا غامَرْتَ في شَرَفٍ مَرُومِ
فَلا تَقنَعْ بما دونَ النّجومِ
(If you ventured in pursuit of glory, don’t be satisfied with less than the stars.)
You’re looking at the real deal images I used to make my pinpoint landing. This is how I quickly got my bearings and picked the safest target in the last three minutes before touchdown. How it works: go.nasa.gov/3rBUbul
I’ve come nearly 300 million miles, and I’m just getting started. Hear from the team about my picture-perfect landing and what comes next.
LIVE at 2:30 p.m. PST (5:30 p.m. EST/20:30 UTC) go.nasa.gov/3ojDWkj
I’m on my way to the “airfield” where the #MarsHelicopter will attempt its first test flight. A couple more drives should get me there.
Read more: go.nasa.gov/2NLiFTh
My team has spotted something unexpected: It’s a piece of a thermal blanket that they think may have come from my descent stage, the rocket-powered jet pack that set me down on landing day back in 2021.
Thank you, Mr. President. My team persevered through incredible adversity to get me here, and now I’m ready to get to work.
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Congratulations to NASA and everyone whose hard work made Perseverance’s historic landing possible. Today proved once again that with the power of science and American ingenuity, nothing is beyond the realm of possibility.
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Portrait of the Artist as a Young Bot
WATSON digital image
Jezero Crater, Mars, 2021
🔊 Hear that? That’s the sound of me driving over Martian rocks. This is the first time we’ve captured sounds while driving on Mars.
Read full story: go.nasa.gov/3ly2OE4
It’s official: I’ve now captured, sealed, and stored the first core sample ever drilled on another planet, in a quest to return samples to Earth. It’s the first in a one-of-a-kind Martian rock collection. #SamplingMars
Read more: go.nasa.gov/3zKRdaV
#MarsHelicopter is on the flight field!
Landing on Mars is a rush of tension, drama, and noise. Then, when the dust clears: tranquility and grandeur.
#CountdownToMars
Explore in 3D in the YouTube app: youtu.be/wE-aQO9XD1g
More images: go.nasa.gov/perseverance-r
Take a moment to marvel at this: I captured my first view of a Martian sunset with my Mastcam-Z. It’s easy to be go-go-go all the time, but it’s also important to look up.
I’m back to work, parked between these two beautiful outcrops. Been doing some imaging, weather studies, chemistry experiments and getting a software update too.
Latest pics: go.nasa.gov/perseverance-r
#MarsHelicopter Flight #2 is in the books! I’ve captured its higher, bolder flight, and I’ll be sending back all my latest frames soon. Meanwhile, here's a quick preview, including takeoff and two turns.
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Scan this image for the various pieces of my landing system, which did their jobs perfectly before coming to rest on Mars. Teams of experts poured years of work into each one. My safe landing is what tells you they nailed it.
go.nasa.gov/2NsKVK0
📷:
#CountdownToMars
After a few months exploring this area, I’m on the move. Thanks to my self-driving function, I can cover more ground in a day than ever before. Just set a new Martian record of 243.3 meters, and then yesterday, another: 245.76 meters. Places to go, rocks to see! 🪨
I’m part of a proud lineage of robotic explorers, carrying the torch forward on Mars. This plaque I carry pays tribute to those who’ve gone before me, and to new possibilities ahead.
#CountdownToMars
mars.nasa.gov/perseverance
With no road maps on Mars, I’m building my own as I go. There are lots of places I want to explore, and mapping while I drive will help me see and do more. Let the road trip begin.
Flexing my robotic arm and doing some more checkouts of my tools. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be focused on finishing health checks of arm instruments, and then dropping off the helicopter so it can get ready for its demo flight.
Latest raw images: go.nasa.gov/perseverance-r
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Thanks for looking out for me, . Long before I got here, you helped map this place out. Now we’ve got a whole new perspective. So much to explore.
go.nasa.gov/perseverance-r
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NASA Perseverance on the Ground in Color
Perseverance can be seen in this enhanced HiRISE color image at its landing site, six days after touchdown, doing system checks. The site appears to be covered in loose dark material with brighter material underneath.
NASA/JPL/UArizona
Testing out my tools as I move into more science. Used my robotic arm to get right up close to this rock after zapping it with my laser. Can you tell I’m really into rocks?
mars.nasa.gov/mars2020
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Another huge first: converting CO2 into oxygen on Mars. Working off the land with what’s already here, my MOXIE instrument has shown it can be done!
Future explorers will need to generate oxygen for rocket fuel and for breathing on the Red Planet.
Replying to
This shot from a camera on my “jetpack” captures me in midair, just before my wheels touched down.
I’m flying free now, having separated from the Centaur. That was quite a ride! Thank you, and . ⭐ #CountdownToMars
Welcome to “Máaz.”
My team is working with the Navajo Nation and , who are sharing their language to help us informally name features I’m exploring on Mars, like:
tsé łichíí (red rock)
yéigo (diligence)
séítah (amongst the sand)
Learn more: go.nasa.gov/3rEKXO4
Now that you’ve seen Mars, hear it. Grab some headphones and listen to the first sounds captured by one of my microphones. 🎧
soundcloud.com/nasa/first-sou
#CountdownToMars
Luck favors the prepared. ' work on my parachute is proof of that. They overcame an extraordinary engineering challenge by doing everything possible to get my parachute right. See how they made it work under harsh conditions: go.nasa.gov/3bIYo8C
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It’s go time. The team is watching from Mission Control at . Join LIVE for the final #CountdownToMars. Touchdown in just over 90 mins: pscp.tv/NASA/1PlJQPZqL
I’ve driven about halfway to my overlook point, where I’ll watch the #MarsHelicopter’s flight test from a distance of about 200 feet (~60 meters).
I’ll have zoom cameras focused on the flight. Meanwhile, you can see Ingenuity centered in these views from my navigation cameras.
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100 days (sols) on Mars, and feeling productive:
✅ Tested all cameras & instruments
✅ Returned 75,000+ pics
✅ Deployed #MarsHelicopter & captured its flights
✅ Recorded sounds of Mars
✅ Extracted oxygen from atmosphere
✅ Started south to first exploration zone
Onward.
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Now that the team and I have achieved a series of “firsts” since my landing on the Red Planet, join a discussion on Friday, March 5, at 12:30 pm PT (3:30 pm ET/2030 UTC) focused on those big moments and get a look at what comes next as I start roving. youtu.be/AYXQFnrVJFQ
Just another day on Mars, shooting video of a flying helicopter. Quick preview of #MarsHelicopter’s Flight 4 takeoff below; more pics and video yet to come.
Typical photographer: lots of gear to juggle and mountains of files to upload! Newest pics at: go.nasa.gov/2L6tFta
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Boom! Just fired my parachute and felt the jolt as it opened. Slowing down even more.
Speed: ~950 mph (~1500 kph)
Altitude: ~7 miles (~11 km)
#CountdownToMars
Solar conjunction is over and I’m ready to get rolling again. Nothing like the feel of Mars under your wheels.
Latest images: go.nasa.gov/perseverance-r
🎥(Sol 200 drive): go.nasa.gov/3n8PiYD
Today’s the day. Trip to Mars, 99.9% complete. The most dangerous part comes last: the final seven minutes.
Watch my landing live starting at 11:15 a.m. PST / 2:15 p.m. EST / 19:15 UTC. #CountdownToMars
Behind every successful mission is a great team. Thank you for your kind words, Mr. President. My team and I couldn't agree more: when you work together, there's nothing you can't do.
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On Thursday, I joined the world and watched in awe as the Perseverance Rover touched down on the surface of Mars. It was a remarkable feat — one made possible by the hard work and ingenuity of the team at @NASA.
I called to congratulate them on their historic landing.
Call me Perseverance.
I'm headed for Mars: driven to search for signs of ancient life, test new tech to help future human explorers, and collect the first rock samples for future return to Earth.
Follow me. Let's go. mars.nasa.gov/mars2020
#Mars2020
It’s back to normal operations for me as I cruise to Mars. I put over a million miles on the odometer yesterday. Roughly 290 million miles to go in my #CountdownToMars.
Latest status: go.nasa.gov/2P9xoo0
Follow my flight path: go.nasa.gov/30eh63z
How to watch this weekend’s historic test of the #MarsHelicopter:
Test flight is scheduled for April 11, with live stream to confirm results on April 12, 12:30 a.m. PT/3:30 a.m. ET/7:30 a.m. UTC.
Tune in: go.nasa.gov/WatchIngenuity
Read more: go.nasa.gov/3dPs2Kv
A quick-look mosaic my team pulled together of the belly pan, now on the surface of Mars. Up next is to check my sampling system now that its cover panel is off.
More images: go.nasa.gov/3rGQx2o
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Some of you are wondering about the samples I’m putting down. Could the Martian wind blow them away, or cover them with sand over time? Here’s why my team’s not worried: (🧵)
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A preview of what’s to come in just a couple of hours. Once I get this part behind me, I’ll finally be able to get to work. Can’t wait. #CountdownToMars
We’re on our way to Mars – me and the almost 11 million names I carry. One home behind us, and a new one ahead. #CountdownToMars
Post-launch Update: go.nasa.gov/338zyMX
Making some accidental zen art as I drive. Mars may be desolate, but it has a certain charm.
More of your favorite images: go.nasa.gov/3s4mRg7
From every corner of the globe, you sent your names to ride aboard with me and now we’re here.
#CountdownToMars
Missed your chance? Send your name on NASA’s next Mars mission: go.nasa.gov/mars2020pass
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The #MarsHelicopter is officially “go” for flight! Can’t wait to watch tomorrow’s historic test. Cameras ready.
We are all in this together. Three chips with more than 10.9 million names you all sent in are coming with me to #Mars. go.nasa.gov/33S5SCa
I also carry a special message -- can you find it?
Well hello there, . Yes! I'm packed and almost ready to fly in July, landing on Mars next February. I’ll collect rocks for a future mission to send back, but know I went down and got them for you. go.nasa.gov/31L4akR
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Take a look at this shot taken with my robotic arm. Checking things out before I release the “ejectable belly pan.”
More images: go.nasa.gov/3rGQx2o
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The rocks on top of this ridge have been sitting here getting sandblasted by Mars winds for eons. This one looks like a good, solid target for my next drilling effort. Next step: abrade a small test patch. #SamplingMars
Read more: go.nasa.gov/3DuOeG3
Two for two: I have successfully processed and stored my second sample of Mars, thus bringing my total to two Martian rock cores in one week.
More images: go.nasa.gov/2L6tFta
Tune in to watch my team share more this Friday: go.nasa.gov/mars2020watcho
My second sample drop is looking good! This tube holds a piece of sedimentary rock from the edge of the ancient river delta here – the longest rock core I’ve taken to date.
More on each of my samples: mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samp
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I’m past the bumpiest part of the ride -- goodbye to my protective fairing, and hello to the great beyond. #CountdownToMars
Getting comfy with my cameras and bringing my subject into sharp focus. Of course, getting the shot is always easier when your subject nails their mark. Here are zoomed-in views of the #MarsHelicopter's takeoff and landing on flight #1. Getting set up for flight #2.
Whoosh – I’ve ditched my heat shield and am looking straight at Mars for the first time! Just over 2 mins to landing.
#CountdownToMars
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We’ve got motion! Snapped these frames as the #MarsHelicopter unlocked its blades. More rotor tests coming up; I’ll be watching from farther away.
I can confirm – is a great place. I have a new home now, but I’ll always remember my California roots.
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Mr. President, if you'll indulge me a moment as a proud representative...
The Perseverance Rover was built and designed at @NASAJPL in La Cañada, CA.
And once it's safe, we'd love to invite you and @VP Harris for a tour of the incredible facility that just put a rover on Mars. twitter.com/POTUS/status/1…
Spotted a dust devil. You can see it in the distance behind my robotic arm in this enhanced/processed view. The dust devil is moving right to left and creating whirlwinds of dust in its path.
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The hardware that got me to Mars has done its job, so it’s bye-bye to the cruise stage.
#CountdownToMars
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Truly fascinating. I zoomed in with my Mastcam-Z camera on a Phobos solar eclipse. This detailed video can help scientists on my team better understand the Martian moon’s orbit and how its gravity affects the interior of Mars, including its crust & mantle. go.nasa.gov/3OqRl73
Lots of activity next week as I get ready to drop off the helicopter for its test flights. It’s tucked underneath me behind a protective debris shield, which will be the first thing to go.
Here’s my team testing some of what’s coming up:
The time has come: I’m switching from on-scene photographer to science investigator. Did this ancient lakebed ever have life? The tools I brought will help begin the hunt. I’m a bot on a mission.
Step by step, the #MarsHelicopter Ingenuity is getting ready to drop to the surface. Once it’s all unfolded, with four legs down, I’ll be able to cut it free.
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Hello from space. 👋 I’m in communication with my team at , who will keep me company for the long trip. #CountdownToMars
🔴🔴🔴🔴⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪
Sample Depot: 40% complete!
Another successful tube drop adds to my growing collection here at the “Three Forks” location. Four of the 10 tubes I’m leaving here as a backup set are down. More on my samples: mars.nasa.gov/mars-rock-samp
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I’m getting ready to do some local science at the #MarsHelicopter lookout point, while we await the first flight. I’ve been imaging some of the local rocks.
Take a look for yourself and see all the images I send back daily: go.nasa.gov/perseverance-r
I’m 22 days from landing on Mars. With ~25.6 million-miles (41.2 million-km) left, I’m closing in on Jezero Crater. It’s the most dangerous Martian site attempted for landing, but I'm ready to take it on.🚀 go.nasa.gov/2Mqr2m6 #CountdownToMars
