NASA Mars Rover Survives ‘7 Minutes of Terror,’ Successfully Lands on Red Planet
(Worthy News) – After a seven-month,300-million-mile journey, a NASA rover on Thursday successfully landed on the red planet, where it will search for signs of ancient life.
The rover, called Perseverance, had to endure “seven minutes of terror” to make it to the Martian surface. The saying refers to the time it takes to travel through the thin atmosphere of Mars, which the spacecraft had to do autonomously due to the 11-minute lag time in communications with Earth.
During that time, the spacecraft had to slow itself from 12,000 miles per hour to about 2 miles per hour using thrusters and a parachute. From there, the six-wheeled rover was lowered to the Mars surface using cables. Its landing spot – the Jezero crater – was selected by scientists who believe the area was once a flooded river delta. [ Source: U.S. News and World Report (Read More…) ]