Tonight, all the eyes of terrestrial enthusiasts (or almost) will be on the landing attempt of Perseverance on Mars. But not only. In orbit around the planet, several probes will also be calibrated so as not to miss anything of the event.
It's the big day! Launched on July 30 from an Atlas V rocket, from United Launch Alliance, the Perseverance rover is preparing for its expected landing this evening. Several links are offered at the end of the article so that you can follow the event live. If successful, NASA will have three active craft on the surface of Mars:the Curiosity rover, the insight lander, and Perseverance.
However, remember that several probes are also orbiting the planet.
On one side we have the orbiters of the European Space Agency. ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) will send data back to Earth as early as four hours after landing, while the Mars Express probe is already concentrated at the landing site, Jezero Crater. She has been providing information to NASA for several days for its descent preparations, and will attempt to photograph Perseverance on the surface in the weeks following its landing.
Two other probes ordered by NASA will also be requisitioned for the occasion. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), on the one hand, will be placed just above Perseverance during its landing attempt. Its objective will be to retrieve the information from the rover, then send it back to NASA antennas so that the agency can confirm the landing, which should take place around 9:55 p.m. (French time) .
“ MRO has been newly configured to send telemetry data back to Earth throughout the landing timeline in 5 second bursts, with a latency of 'about 16 seconds late ” , notes the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in a press release.
NASA will also rely on the MRO to attempt to photograph the rover during its descent, just like in 2012 with Curiosity.
The agency will also commission its orbiter Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) . This probe generally does not send information back from surface-moving gear, as the data received requires further processing. MAVEN's observations will nonetheless be useful in gathering more information about Perseverance's descent. They should be available about ten hours after landing.
Here are two French-language links to follow the event live:- CNES YouTube channel - Astro Alex Youtube channel - the space and aero channel You can also follow the event directly on NASA's Facebook page, or via its website.