Did you know Perseverance, the newest Mars Rover, is landing February 18th, 2021, and you can watch live? We’re pretty excited about this Mars Rover and its super cool test cargo, a Mars helicopter! Find out all about the technology aboard Perseverance and the Mars Mission with these resources. Then, tune in live on February 18th to watch Perseverance touch down on the surface of Mars.
Perseverance is the latest Mars Rover, and it’s scheduled to land on Mars on February 18th, 2021. This rover features more cameras than ever before. With 19 cameras aboard the rover and an additional 4 cameras on the spacecraft, plus a microphone, when you tune in to view the landing, you’ll be able to see and hear what it’s like actually to land on Mars! How cool is that?
Prepare for Mars Rover Landing Day
If your family wants to learn a little about the Mars program or Perseverance’s technology and mission, check out these documentaries, live broadcasts, and web resources.
Watch Live Countdown to Landing Programs
What will happen on Mars as Perseverance lands? How does the rover get from space to the surface of Mars? What will the rover be doing on the surface of Mars? Find out all this and more as NASA engineers and educators answer student questions. There are three countdown programs broken up by age group. If your student wants to ask a question, you’ll need to register for these free live streams.
Countdown to Landing Live Program for High School Students, February 16th at 12:15 pm
Countdown to Landing Live Program for Middle School Students, February 16th at 2:30 pm
Countdown to Landing Live Program for Elementary School Students, February 17th at 12:30 pm
History of the Mars Program
If you have a Disney Plus subscription, check out National Geographic’s Mars Expedition: Spirit & Opportunity. This documentary tells the tale of two of NASA’s previous Mars rovers. While Perseverance’s current rover is much more advanced, viewing the documentary will give kids a good idea of the people and process behind the building, launching, and landing one of these rovers.
See Inside JPL as they build Perseverance
Mark Rober makes all kinds of science and technology videos my pre-teens love. This Perseverance Crash Course video takes you inside JPL when they were building the rover. It also includes footage from the last rover, Curiosity, as it landed, giving us an idea what to expect this time.
NASA Mars 2020
NASA’s Mars 2020 website is a wealth of information about Perseverance, the mission, and the latest technology, including the Mars helicopter, Ingenuity.
Never before has there been flight on Mars, but that’s about to change! Ingenuity, a Mars helicopter was carried to Mars aboard Perseverance. This is a technology test to explore powered flight on Mars.
For bonus fun, visit the Mars Photo Booth and put your family on Mars!
NASA Space Place
Kids can learn about past rovers, the weather on Mars, play games, and much more on the Mars page of NASA Space Place.
The NASA Mars page for kids has a few more resources including coloring pages, paper models, more games, and views of Mars.
Want to see Mars right now? Here are some panoramic pictures taken by the Curiosity Rover.
Watch the Mars Rover Land Live: Landing Day Livestreams
Watch live as the rover touches down on Mars! There is a live stream geared for students that will take place before landing. NASA educators will again answer student questions, this time focusing on what happens during touchdown. The main NASA TV broadcast of the landing will be on YouTube, Facebook, the NASA App, and more.
Landing Day Student Livestream Begins at 12:30 pm on February 18th. Register online to ask questions!
NASA’s Landing Day Livestream begins about 2:15 pm on February 18th
Landing is expected at 3:55 pm.
Love Learning About Space?
- Plan a trip to the Kennedy Space Center
- See the International Space Station in the Night Sky
- Find the Space X, Starlink Satellite Train
Will you watch the Mars Rover land live with your family?