Skip Navigation
menu

Images

Prepping Perseverance Descent and Entry Components

In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Backshell-Powered Descent Vehicle and Entry Vehicle assemblies are being prepared to be attached to the Perseverance rover on May 4, 2020.

May 26, 2020

Inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Backshell-Powered Descent Vehicle and Entry Vehicle assemblies are being prepared to be attached to the Mars Perseverance rover on May 4, 2020. The cone-shaped backshell contains the parachute, and along with the mission’s heat shield, provides protection for the rover and descent stage during Martian atmospheric entry.

Credits

NASA/Christian Mangano

 

ENLARGE

Related

Meet the 23rd Martian sample collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover – "Lefroy Bay," a sample taken from a region of Jezero Crater that is especially rich in carbonate, a mineral linked to habi...
More
Meet the 23rd Martian sample collected by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover – "Lefroy Bay," a sample taken from a region of Jezero Crater that is especially rich in carbonate, a mineral linked to habitability.
Meet the Mars Samples: Lefroy Bay (Sample 23)
The Perseverance rover carries seven instruments to conduct its science and exploration technology investigations. 
More
An artist's concept image of where selected instruments will be located on NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover.
Science Instruments on NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover
With the backshell that will help protect the Mars 2020 rover during its descent into the Martian atmosphere visible in the foreground, a technician on the project monitors the progress of Systems ...
More
The backshell that will help protect the Mars 2020 rover during its descent into the Martian atmosphere visible in the foreground. A technician on the project monitors the progress of Systems Test 1.
Lonely Vigil
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter spotted this location, nicknamed “Raised Ridges,” during its ninth flight, on July 5. Scientists hope to visit “Raised Ridges” with the Perseverance rover in the fu...
More
NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter spotted this location, nicknamed “Raised Ridges,” during its ninth flight, on July 5. Scientists hope to visit “Raised Ridges” with the Perseverance rover in the future.
Ingenuity Spots 'Raised Ridges' During Ninth Flight
This shows one prototype for hardware to cache samples of cores drilled from Martian rocks for possible future return to Earth.
More
This shows one prototype for hardware to cache samples of cores drilled from Martian rocks for possible future return to Earth.
Creating a Returnable Cache of Martian Samples
The helicopter was tested on a stand while the cruise stage was tested on the rotation fixture. 
More
The helicopter was tested on a stand while the cruise stage was tested on the rotation fixture.
Inspecting NASA's Mars Helicopter
This image taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover on Aug. 6, shows that sample collection tube No. 233 is empty. It is one of the pieces of data sent to Earth by Perseverance showing that the rover did...
More
This image taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover on Aug. 6, shows that sample collection tube No. 233 is empty. It is one of the pieces of data sent to Earth by Perseverance showing that the rover did not collect any Martian rock during its first attempt to core a sample.
Perseverance Sample Tube No. 233
In this video captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover, the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took the first powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021. 
More
In this video captured by NASA’s Perseverance rover, the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took the first powered, controlled flight on another planet on April 19, 2021.
First Video of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in Flight
This GIF shows the order in which the 142 images that makeup the Mastcam-Z’s first 360-degree panorama were taken. Mastcam-Z is a pair of zoomable cameras on the mast, or “head,” of NASA’s Persever...
More
This GIF shows the order in which the 142 images that makeup the Mastcam-Z’s first 360-degree panorama were taken. Mastcam-Z is a pair of zoomable cameras on the mast, or “head,” of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover.
How Mastcam-Z's 360-Degree Panorama Was Taken (GIF)
NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited the first of several samples onto the Martian surface on Dec. 21, 2022, the 653rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
More
NASA’s Perseverance rover deposited the first of several samples onto the Martian surface on Dec. 20, 2022, the 652nd Martian day, or sol, of the mission.
Perseverance Deposits Its First Sample on the Martian Surface
This illustration depicts artwork that is etched on two anodized aluminum plates that form a pair.
More
Two rectangular black images. One has a relief map pattern with a circle removed and one has the removed circle with the same relief pattern.
Bringing Back a Piece of Mars Artwork
Illustrated here, the aluminum wheels of NASA's Curiosity (left) and Perseverance rovers. Slightly larger in diameter and narrower, 20.7 inches (52.6 centimeters) versus 20 inches (50.8 centimeters...
More
An image of the aluminum wheels of NASA's Curiosity (left) and Perseverance rovers.
Curiosity's and Perseverance's Wheels
The Mars 2020 mission is facing the most challenging landing yet on the Red Planet. It will touch down on Feb. 18, 2021, in Jezero Crater, a 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) expanse full of steep c...
More
The Mars 2020 mission is facing the most challenging landing yet on the Red Planet. It will touch down on Feb. 18, 2021, in Jezero Crater, a 28-mile-wide (45-kilometer-wide) expanse full of steep cliffs, boulder fields and other things that could boobytrap the landing. A new technology called Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) will allow the spacecraft to avoid hazards autonomously.
Landing NASA's Mars 2020 Rover with Terrain Relative Navigation
In a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, engineers observed the first driving test for NASA's Mars 2020 rover on Dec. 17, 2019.
More
In a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, engineers observed the first driving test for NASA's Mars 2020 rover on Dec. 17, 2019.
Mars 2020 Rover Is Roving
This video and audio show the results of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover using its SuperCam microphone to record the sounds of a Martian dust devil – the first time any such recording has been made....
More
This video and audio show the results of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover using its SuperCam microphone to record the sounds of a Martian dust devil – the first time any such recording has been made.
NASA's Perseverance Records a Martian Dust Devil
A close-up of the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” that the Perseverance science team will examine in order to determine whether to take a rock core sample from it.
More
A close-up of the rock, nicknamed “Rochette,” that the Perseverance science team will examine in order to determine whether to take a rock core sample from it.
Perseverance at ‘Rochette'
This image shows the remains of an ancient delta in Mars' Jezero Crater, which NASA's Perseverance Mars rover will explore for signs of fossilized microbial life. The image was taken by the High Re...
More
A view of Mars' Jezero Crater
Jezero Crater as Seen by ESA's Mars Express Orbiter
These abrasion targets, nicknamed “Guillaumes” (left) and “Bellegarde” (right), are from the first and second rocks drilled by NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. These images were taken by the rover’s...
More
Images of the abrasion targets, nicknamed “ Guillaumes” (left) and “Bellegarde” (right), are from the first and second rocks drilled by Perseverance rover.
Side-by-Side Abrasion Patches for Guillaumes and Bellegarde
Members of NASA’s Mars Helicopter team attach a thermal film enclosure to the fuselage of the flight model (the actual vehicle going to the Red Planet). 
More
Members of NASA’s Mars Helicopter team attach a thermal film enclosure to the fuselage of the flight model.
Composing Mars Helicopter
In this illustration, NASA's Perseverance Mars rover uses the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). Located on the turret at the end of the rover's robotic arm, the X-ray spectromet...
More
Illustration of the PIXL instrument on the Perseverance rover.
Perseverance's PIXL at Work on Mars (Illustration)
This annotated graphic depicts the orientation of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover during the 17th flight of the agency’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Dec. 5, 2021. The green dot on the rover indicat...
More
This annotated graphic depicts the orientation of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover during the 17th flight of the agency's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on Dec. 5, 2021.
Orientation of Mars Helicopter Base Station Antenna for Flight 17
Engineers use OPTIMISM, a full-size replica of NASA’s Perseverance rover, to test how it will deposit its first sample tube on the Martian surface. The test was conducted in the Mars Yard at JPL.
More
Engineers use OPTIMISM, a full-size replica of NASA’s Perseverance rover, to test how it will deposit its first sample tube on the Martian surface.
Testing a Sample Drop in the Mars Yard
The Mars 2020 rover undergoes processing inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 14, 2020.
More
The Mars 2020 rover undergoes processing inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 14, 2020.
Mars 2020 Sky Crane Processing in PHSF
This illustration shows the events that occur in the final minutes of the nearly seven-month journey that NASA’s Perseverance rover takes to Mars.
More
Timeline of rover descent on Mars
Perseverance Rover's Entry, Descent and Landing Profile
This graphic provides an oblique view of Mars’ Jezero crater -- looking west above the crater floor.
More
Oblique view looks to the west above Jezero Crater floor over the fan-shaped delta and into the valley that cuts through the crater rim. The illustration was generated by U.S Geological Survey using data from NASA spacecraft.
Angle on Jezero Crater (Illustration)

You Might Also Like

The agency is asking the NASA community to work together to develop a revised plan that leverages innovation and proven technology.
More
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs
NASA has proven powered, controlled flight is possible on other worlds, just as the Wright brothers proved it was possible on Earth.
More
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
After Three Years on Mars, NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends
The agency established the board in May 2023 to evaluate the technical, cost, and schedule plans prior to confirmation of the mission’s design.
More
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
NASA Releases Independent Review's Mars Sample Return Report
A pair of quakes in 2021 sent seismic waves deep into the Red Planet’s core, giving scientists the best data yet on its size and composition.
More
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
NASA InSight Study Provides Clearest Look Ever at Martian Core
Ten sample tubes, capturing an amazing variety of Martian geology, have been deposited on Mars’ surface so they could be studied on Earth in the future.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
NASA's Perseverance Rover Completes Mars Sample Depot
Filled with rock, the sample tube will be one of 10 forming a depot of tubes that could be considered for a journey to Earth by the Mars Sample Return campaign.
More
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface
NASA's Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface