NASA has announced that the first launch attempt of the Mars 2020 foreign mission has been push back from the scheduled July 22 launch escort , and will take place no earlier than July 30 . The mental process squad found an return with the rocket during the rehearsal stage and wants to have time to enquire it thoroughly .
“ A melted O sensor line present off - token data during the Wet Dress Rehearsal , and additional time is needed for the team to audit and evaluate , ” explained NASA in astatement .
The Mars 2020 military mission includes the roverPerseveranceand the Mars Helicopter droneIngenuity , the first aircraft to attempt flight on another major planet . The missionary station will plunge on an Atlas V rocket operated by the United Launch Alliance . The Modern time lag has people concerned that the issue might be significant and the mission might be detain further .
“ Flight analysis team have expanded the charge launching chance to August 15 and are examining if the launch point may be stretch out further into August , ” the statement persist in .
The pressure is certainly on because if the mission can not be made ready for the slender launch window , it will have to be postponed by over two years . July and August 2020 are the staring launching window for a trip to Mars from Earth . Given the relative position of the two planets , launching in this flow guarantee the shortest trip , which means the least amount of energy to cut across interplanetary blank space . This launch window repeats every 780 days . So if the mission does n’t make it now , it will have to wait until 2022 .
This is what happened to the European Space Agency - RoscomosRosalind Franklin rover , which was scheduled to launch this summertime but due to parachute issue has been put over until the next launch window . Fingers thwart the return with the rocket is resolved presently and that NASA ’s deputation establish this summertime . Two other missionsfrom China and the United Arab Emirates are scheduled to plunge this summer too .
All travel well , Perseverance and Ingenuity are anticipate to reach the Red Planet in tardy February 2021 , touching down inside Jezero Crater . tenaciousness will search for signs of past microbial life and Ingenuity will be a technology demonstration of how drone could be used as robotic explorers on Mars .
