>> YOU LEARN SOMETHING AND THEN
DESIGN THE NEXT MISSION BASED ON
WHAT YOU LEARN.
>> IT ALLOWS US TO LITERALLY GO
BACK IN TIME ON MARS.
>> THE FIRST PICTURE BILL COVER
AN AREA OF SUN 76 MILES.
>> MAYOR HER FOUR BEGAN
TRANSMITTING BACK UP I THINKS.
>> THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPH THAT A
HUMAN BEING HAS EVER SEEN FROM
THE SURFACE OF ANOTHER PLANET.
>> ON AUGUST 20th, 1975,.
>> YOU ARE SEEING SOMETHING THAT
NO OTHER HUMAN HAS EVER SEEN
BEFORE.
>> MOUNTAINS.
>> HUGE CANYONS.
>> WE HAVE LIFT OFF.
PATH FINDER.
>> THAT SENSE OF WONDER LITTLE
AND ACHIEVEMENT AND ALWAYS
WORKING TOWARDS YOUR GOAL.
>> WE CAN DO AND WILL DO.
>> AND LIFT OFF.
[ CHEERING AND APPLAUSE ]
>> CONFIRMED.
>> MARS IS UNAVOIDABLEBLY
SPECIAL.
>> WE HAVE LANDED AND WE HAVE
SCOOPED.
>> WE HAVE ROVED ACCOUNT WE HAVE
ORBITED.
>> TOGETHER WE DID IT.
BUT THE ATTITUDE WAS TOGETHER WE
CAN DO IT.
>> THE FUTURE IS WHAT YOU MAKE
OUT OF IT.
YOU CAN MAKE IT REAL.
>> HERE WE ARE WITH MARS
PERSEVERANCE, 51 YEARS LATER
GETTING READY TO DO THE FIRST
EVER MARS RETURN MISSION.
>> EVENTUALLY WE CAN BRING THE
SAMPLES BACK TO EARTH AND
DETERMINE FOR THE VERY FIRST
TIME, DID LIFE EXIST ON MARS?
>> NASA'S JET PROPULSION
LABORATORY IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA, WE ARE HERE AT THE
KENNEDY SPACE STORE TALK ABOUT
NASA'S NEXT MISSION TO THE RED
PLANET, MARS 20 WENT AND THE
PERSEVERANCE ROVER.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT THE SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING THAT IS GOING TO
MAKE THIS MISSION GREAT MISSION,
HERE TO TALK ABOUT MARS 2020 WE
HAVE TODAY LORI GLAZE, THE
DIRECTOR OF THE PLANETARY
SCIENCE DIVISION AT NASA
HEADQUARTERS IN WASHINGTON.
AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE
WITH US JENNIFER THE DEPUTY
PROJECT MANAGER FOR MARS 2020.
AT JPL.
ALSO AT JPL, WE HAVE FAR A, AND
SHE IS A MOBILITY ENGINEER FOR
MARS 2020 AND SHE'S, OF COURSE,
ALSO AT JPL.
NOW, BACK HERE AT THE KENNEDY
SPACE CENTER MEDIA SITE, WE HAVE
KEN FARLEY, WHO IS THE PROJECT
SCIENTIST FOR MARS 2020.
AND HE IS FROM CAL TECH.
FINALLY, TONYA BOZAK THE MARS
2020 SCIENTIST FROM PITCH I.T.
SO WE ARE STARTING OUT WITH
LOWER.
>> I THANKS.
SO AS T. CR. SAYS I AT THE
DIRECTOR FOR PLANETARY SIGNS
DIVISION THE MASS NASA THE MAIN
GOAL IS TO EXPLORE THE SOLAR
SYSTEM.
TO HELP US ANSWER IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE PLANETS
FORMED AND HOW THEY EVOLVED.
AND, OF COURSE, THERE IS A LOT
OF REALLY SPECIAL PLACES TO GO
THROUGHOUT THE SOLAR SYSTEM BUT
MARS HAS ALWAYS SPELLED HELD A
SPECIAL PLACE IN THAT EX-FLOOR
ACTION.
IF I COULD HAVE THE FIRST
GRAPHIC, PLEASE.
GOING BACK TO THE MAYOR HER
MISSIONS AND FLY BYES AND
LANDINGS.
THE CURRENT SERIES OF ORBITERS
AND LANDERS AND ROVERS CURRENTLY
OPERATING ON THE SURFACE TODAY
AND.
, LEADING UP TO PERSEVERANCE.
, WHICH IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH THE
SOME OF THE REASONS WE FOUND
MARS TO BE A SPECIAL PLACE AND
SO FASCINATING, FOR ONE, IT'S
RELATIVELY ACCESSIBLE.
IT'S RELATIVELY CLOSE IN THE
SOLAR IS A SYSTEM, WE CAN GET
GET THERE AND ARRIVE IN A MATTER
OF SIX TO SEVEN MONTHS, THAT'S
RELATIVELY SHORT ON A PLANETARY
EXPLORATION TIME SCALE.
IN ADDITION IT HOLDS A LOT OF
UNIQUE SCIENTIFIC VALUE.
PARTICULARLY FOR TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND PLANETS WITH ROCKY
SURFACES AND PLAN WEST
ATMOSPHERES HELPING US
UNDERSTAND HOW THEY FORM AND
EVOLVE AND BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR
OWN HISTORY ON EARTH.
MARS PRESERVES ON ITS SURFACE,
SOME INCREDIBLY COMPLEX AND
DIVERSE GEOLOGY.
ON EARTH OUR CRUST IS CONSTANTLY
RESEEK THINKED, WEATHERED AND
ERODED AND IT'S VERY HARD TO
FIND PLACES THAT HAVE PRESERVE
THAT'S HISTORY FROM BILLIONS OF
YEARS AGO, YET ON MARS WE CAN
FIND PLACES THAT WE SEE THAT
FULL BREADTH OF HISTORY PRESERVE
ODD TO THE SURFACE.
IT IS A PLANET WITH AN
ATMOSPHERE AND HAS A CLIMATE
JUST LIKE EARTH HAS A CLIMATE.
MUST LIKE ON EARTH, THE CLIMATE
ON MARS HAS CHANGED OVERTIME BY
UNDERSTANDING WHEN? AND HOW THAT
CLIMATE CHANGES HELPS US BETTER
UNDERSTAND OUR OWN CLIMATE
EVOLUTION ON EARTH.
IT'S ALSO A PLACE ON THE SURFACE
SINCE IT'S SO OLD AND PRESERVED.
WE HAVE UNDERSTOOD IN THE LAST
20 YEARS WE HAVE GOT TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND THAT THE SURFACE OF
MARS WAS ACTUALLY PROBABLY MUCH
WARMER AND WET THIRD PAST WITH A
DEFENSIVE ATMOSPHERE.
PERHAPS SEVERAL BILLION YEARS
AGO LIFE COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE
ON MARS LIKE EARTH.
GOING BACK TO MARS WE MIGHT BE
ABLE TO FIND EVIDENCE OF WHEN
LIKE COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE OR
TAKEN HOLD ON MASS.
THIS IS THE STUD I HAVE
ASTROBIOLOGY, OF UNDERSTANDING
THE ENVIRONMENTS THAT COULD
SUPPORT LIFE AND UNDERSTANDING
IF AND WHEN LIFE CAN ACTUALLY
COME TO BE.
MARS 2020 PERSEVERANCE IS, IN
FACT, OUR FIRST MISSION FROM
NASA SPECIFICALLY DID HE SEEP
TODAY ANSWER THESE ASTROBIOLOGY
QUESTIONS ON MARS.
IF I COULD HAVE THE NEXT
GRAPHIC, PLEASE.
BUT EVERYONE WILL TELL YOU THAT
THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX
MISSION, BUT THEY DIDN'T DO IT
ALONE.
ALL OF THOSE THAT WORKING ON
THIS MISSION ARE LEANING ON THE
LEGACY OF ALL OF THOSE ROVERS
THAT HAVE COME BEFORE FROM
SOJOURNER TO SPIRIT AND
OPPORTUNITY, TO CURIOSITY, AND
NOW TO PERSEVERANCE.
WE ARE BUILDING ON THAT LEGACY
OF WHAT HAS COME BEFORE, BUT
PERSEVERANCE IS ALSO LAYING THE
GROUNDWORK FOR WHAT COMES NEXT.
YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR A LOT
TODAY ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE
SCIENCE THAT PERSEVERANCE IS
GOING TO DO ON THE SURFACE OF
MARS AND ABOUT ITS MAIN GOAL
WHICH IS TO COLLECT SOME SAMPLES
TO BRING BACK TO EARTH IN THE
FUTURE.
AND OUR NEXT BIG MISSION, OF
COURSE, IS GOING TO BE MARS
SAMPLE RETURN, WHERE WE PLAN TO
EXECUTES THE FIRST EVER ROUND
TRIP TO MARS AND EXECUTE THE
FIRST EVER LAUNCH FROM THE
SURFACE OF ANOTHER PLANET.
AND THAT WHOLE MISSION WILL BE
FOCUSED ON TRYING TO BRING THOSE
SAMPLES, THOSE VERY PRECIOUS
SAMPLES BACK TO EARTH WHERE WE
CAN ANALYZE THEM HERE WITH OUR
INCREDIBLY CAPABLE LABORATORIES
HERE ON EARTH.
AND ALL OF THIS IS ALSO THEN
LEADING TOWARDS POTENTIAL HUMAN
EXPLORATION IN THE COMING
DECADES, WE HAVE SPECIFIC
TECHNOLOGIES ON THE PERSEVERANCE
ROVER THAT YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT
THAT ARE ALSO GOING TO BE
TALKING ABOUT THAT WILL BE
DEMONSTRATING THESE CORE
CAPABILITIES THAT WE NEED IN
ORDER TO SUPPORT HUMAN
EXPLORATION IN THOSE COMING
DECADES.
AND I WANTED TO JUST GIVE A PLUG
REAL QUICK FOR TWO MORE PRESS
CONFERENCES THAT WILL BE HELD
TOMORROW AFTERNOON, FOR BOTH THE
TECHNOLOGIES AND MARS SAMPLE
RETURN IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THAT IS TWO THINGS AS
WELL.
AND SO RIGHT NOW, WHAT I WOULD
LIKE TO DO IS HAND IT OVER TO
JENNIFER WHO IS ACTUALLY WORKED
ON ALL FIVE OF THE ROVERS THAT
HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN DELIVERED
TO MARS.
BY NASA AND JPL.
JENNIFER IS THE DEPUTY PROJECT
SCIENTIST FOR SURFACE OPERATIONS
SHE WILL TELL US MORE ABOUT THE
ROVER ITSELF AND ABOUT WHAT WE
WILL DO ONCE GET TO MARS.
THANKS, LORI, IT'S GREAT TO BE
HERE TODAY AND I AM VERY EXCITED
TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR NEW ROVER
PERSEVERANCE.
BUT I HAVE TO LOOK BACK AND SAY,
YOU KNOW, AS A FARM GIRL ON --
GROWING UP IN OHIO, IT TOOK ME A
WHILE TO GET THE ROVER BUG.
NOW, I HAVE WORKED ON ALL OF
THESE ROVERSES, BUT I DIDN'T
WORK ON ROBOTICS GROWING UP, BUT
IN 1997, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BE PART OF THE MARS PATH
FINDER TEAM WITH THE SOJOURNER
ROVER.
EVER SINCE THAT DAY WHEN WE
LANDED ON MARS AND I SAW THE FUN
AND EXCITEMENT AND THE, AND I
GOT THE BUG OF EXPLORATION NOW I
HAVE WORKED ON EVERY MARS ROVER.
IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE NOT JUST
TO WORK ON THE ROVERS, BUT ALSO
TO WORK WITH THE GREAT TEAMS
THAT BUILD THESE ROVERS.
TODAY I WILL TELL BUT OUR NEXT
GREAT ROVER, PERSEVERANCE.
GO AHEAD AND SHOWED FIRST SLIDE.
THE FIRST SLIDE SHOWS OUR
PREDECESSOR ROVERS THE SMALL ONE
IS SOJOURNER THE ONE I JUST
TALKED BRIDENSTINE WE HAVE
SPIRIT AND OPPORTUNITY THE
MIDSIZE GO-KART ROVER.
AND CURIOSITY WHICH IS MORE LIKE
A SMALL CAR.
NOW WE HAVE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENE
CONVENIENCE, AS I LOOK BACK OVER
MY CAREER WORKING ON THESE
ROVERS IT'S EXCITE TO GO SEE HOW
WE INCREMENTAL BUILDUP THE
SCIENCE TO HAVE THIS ENORMOUSLY
CAPABLE ROVER TODAY CALLED
PERSEVERANCE.
I WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE
CAPABILITIES ARE, PERSEVERANCE
IS UNIQUE IN THAT ALL OF HER
CAPABILITIES ARE VERY MUCH
FOCUSED ON HER SCIENCE MISSION.
HER SCIENCE MISSION IS
CHALLENGING.
SHE NEEDS TO EXPLORE, FIND,
SELECT, CORE AND CASH SAMPLES
FOR FUTURE RETURN TO EARTH.
SO WE HAVE NEEDED TO ADD A LOT
OF NEW THINGS TO PERSEVERANCE TO
MAKE HER ABLE DO THAT.
WE WANT HER TO DO THAT IN A
LOCATION THAT'S INTERESTING
ENOUGH TO BRING IT BACK TO
EARTH.
THAT BROUGHT US TO NEED TO GO
ADD OUR FIRST NEW TECHNOLOGY.
OUR FIRST NEW TECHNOLOGY WAS
TERRAIN RELATIVE NAVIGATION, WE
LEVERAGED A LOT OF CURIOSITY
ENTRY DESCENT AND LANDING
SYSTEM, BUT WHEN KEN FARLEY AND
THE SCIENCE TEAM DECIDED THEY
WANTED TO LAND AT THE CRATER, WE
REALIZED THE CURRENT SKY CRANE
LANDING SYSTEM WOULD NOT LAND US
THERE SAFELY ENOUGH.
YOU CAN THINK IF IT'S MORE
SCIENTIFICALLY INTERESTING AND
HAS MORE ENGINEERING HAZARDS.
BEING GO TO MY NEXT GRAPHIC
WHICH SHOWS THAT TERRAIN
NAVIGATION IS.
WE GOT ON BOARD TO SIEVE WE NEED
TO MAKE THE LANDING SITE SAFE.
WE ADDED WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY OUR
ASTRONAUT THAT WE TAKE TO MARS
THAT STEERS US AWAY FROM HAZARDS
AND CALL IT TERRAIN WELL ENOUGH
NAVIGATION.
WE CAN'T TAKE AN ASTRONAUT.
WE LOAD MARS ORBITAL MAPS THAT
WE GET FROM MARS ORBITERS MARKED
WITH HAGGARDS WE USE A CAMERA AT
THAT TAKE PICTURES AS WE DESCENT
ONTO MARS AND CARE THOSE.
AND DIVERT BY FIRING ENGINES TO
GET AWAY FROM THE HAZARDS TO
LAND SAFELY.
THIS ALLOWS US TO LAND IN THE
CRATER WHICH IS WHERE THE
SCIENCE TEAM WANTING TO DO THIS
INVESTIGATION.
ANOTHER INTERESTING PART OF
ENTRY DESCENT AND LANDING.
IT'S HEART, MARS IS
100 MILLION MILES AWAY, YOU
START AT 12,000 MILES PER HOUR
AT THE TOP OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
YOU HAVE TO GET TO ZERO, SEVEN
MINUTES LATER.
AND IT'S A NAIL-BITING THING.
AND WE HAVE ADDED SOMETHING TO
PERSEVERANCE, WHICH IS
ESPECIALLY COOL, SO THAT WE WILL
GET A FRONT ROW SEAT.
THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY HAS THE
ABILITY TO TAKE SELFIES AS IT'S
GOING THROUGH THE ENTRY DESCENT
AND LANDING PROCESS.
GO AHEAD AND SHOW MY NEXT SLIDE.
THIS SHOWS YOU WHERE THE CAMERAS
ARE THAT WE HAVE ADDED TO TAKE
PICTURES AS WE ARE DID HE
ACCIDENTING ON TO THE SURFACE OF
MARS.
WE HAVE PAIR SUIT CRAMS THAT
WATCH THE PARACHUTE INFLATION,
WE HAVE SOME DOWN LIT CAMERAS
THAT WILL WATCH THE ROVER GO
DOWN ON THE SKY CRANE.
ON THE ROVER WE HAVE UP LOOK AND
DOWN LOOK CAMERAS.
UP LOOK CAMERAS WANT THE DESCENT
STAGE AND GET THE FLY AWAY
MOMENT, WHICH IS AWESOME.
THE FLY AWAYS WATCH THE SURFACE
ON MARS.
WE ALSO HAVE A MICROPHONE SO WE
ARE LISTENING TO OURSELVES AS WE
GO THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE,
LISTENING TO THE PYRO FIRINGS
AND THE HARDWARE BEING RELEASED.
IT WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST
EXCITING THINGS THAT HAPPENS
EARLY IN THIS MISSION I AM
REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
WE'LL RECORD THE DATE AND SEND
IT BACK SHORTLY AFTER LANDING.
NOW THE NEXT THINGS THAT'S
EXCITE BIG THE ROVER.
ENTRY DESCENT AND LANDING IS
EXCITING, BUT IT'S ONLY SEVEN
MINUTES.
MY PERSONAL PART IS PERSEVERANCE
GOING LAST FOR A MARS YEAR,
WHICH IS ABOUT TWO EARTH YEARS,
THIS PERSEVERANCE MISSION HAS TO
DO THE EQUIVALENT ABOUT WHAT
CURIOSITY DID FOUR TIMES WHAT
CURIOSITY DID IN THE SAME AMOUNT
OF TIME.
WE HAVE HAD TO DO A LOT OF
THINGS TO MAKE IT SMARTER, GO
AHEAD AND BRING UP MY NEXT
SLIDE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE TO
MAKE IT SMARTER.
AND HAVE BETTER SENSING IS
ADDING CAMERAS.
WE HAVE 23 ON THE ROVER AND SOME
OF THE NEW CAMERAS WE HAVE ADDED
WE HAVE NEW DOUBLE-E CAMS THAT
ARE NAVIGATION THAT WE USE FOR
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING.
THEY ARE COLOR AND TWICE THE
FIELD OF VIEW, TWICE THE
RESOLUTION AS THE CURIOSITY
CAMERAS WE HAVE ADDED BETTER
CAMERAS TO THE FRONT OF THE
ROVER, THE HAZARD CAMERAS THAT
WE USE TO PLACE THE ARM
ACCURATELY.
EVERYBODY HAVE A CAMERA INSIDE.
BEFORE WE SEAL THEM OFF.
WE HAVE LOTS OF GREAT CENSORS
AND ANOTHER THING WE DO TO MAKE
IT SMARTER IS ADD SOFTWARE AND
COMPUTERS SO IF YOU CAN GO TO MY
NEXT GRAPHIC.
I CAN SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT WHAT MAKES THE ROVER
SMART.
THE ROVER HAS ABOUT 13 DIFFERENT
COMPUTER AND PROCESSORS IT HAS
DOZENS OF ELECTRONICS BOXES, I
CAN'T SHOW YOU THE SOFTWARE AND
THE ALGORITHMS THAT MAKE IT
SMART, BUT THIS IS THE SIGNED OF
THE ROVER.
THE BACK OF THE ROVER IS TO THE
RIGHT.
FROM FRONT TO THE LEFT AND YOU
CAN'T SEE THE FULL CASHING
SYSTEM IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THE
CABLES INSIDE THE ROVER.
IT WOULD BE ABOUT 3 1/2 MILES
LONG.
IT'S A COMPLICATED VEHICLE.
WE HAVE MADE IT SMARTER.
THE THINGS WE HAVE DONE TO MAKE
IT SMARTER I TALKED ABOUT
TERRAIN RELATIVE NAVIGATION.
WE HAVE ADDED A NEW AUTO
NAVIGATION ALGORITHM SO WE CAN
DRIVE A A TONIGHT PLUSLY THROUGH
MORE DIFFICULT TERRAINS THAT
HAVE MORE ROCKS.
WE HAVE ADDED A CAPABILITY FOR
HIGHER COMPRESSION TO GET MORE
DATA DOWN TO THE GROUND.
WE HAVE ADDED A CAPABILITY SO
AFTER THE ROVER DRIVES IT CAN
STOP, CHECK FOR HAZARDS AND IF
THERE ARE NO HAZARDS IT CAN
ACTUALLY DEPLOY THE ARM OUT.
IT CAN TAKE IMAGES AND SEND THEM
BACK TO EARTH SO WE DON'T HAVE
TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT DAY AND
SPEEDS IT UP.
WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT
UPGRADES TO OUR OPERATION
SYSTEMS, WE HAVE CLOUD-BASED
TOOLS THAT ALLOW A SCIENCE TEAM
TO DO COLLABORATION ARMED
TARGETING AND VISUALIZATION AND
WE ARE MORE PRO EFFICIENT IN
EVALUATING THOSE IMAGES BECAUSE
WE HAVE TO SEND THEM TO THE
ROVER EVERY DAY.
IF YOU GO TO MY NEXT SLIDE WHICH
IS MY FINAL IMAGE.
I I LOVE THIS IT SHOWS THE ROVER
FOLDED UP READY TO GO ON ITS WAY
TO MARS, BUT IT ALSO SHOWS THE
PREEMINENT NEW CAPABILITY WE
HAVE BUILT ON THE ROVER WHICH IS
THE SAMPLING SELLS TELL, YOU CAN
SEE THE CAGE-LYING FEATURE
THAT'S THE CORE, THAT CORES THE
SAMPLES FROM THE SURFACE OF
MARS.
YOU CAN SEE THE ROBOTIC ARM,
FOREARM AND UPPER ARM THAT HAS
THE MARS 2020 AND THE
PERSEVERANCE PLATES ON THEM.
YOU CAN SEE THE BIT CAROUSEL IN
THE CENTER THE ROUND THING.
A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SAY ABOUT
THE IMAGE THE WHEELS ARE COVERED
WITH ANTI-STATISTIC WRAP AND WE
TAKE IT OFF BEFORE LAUNCH SO NO
WORRIES THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE ROVER IS UPSIDE
DOWN IN THE PICTURE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE MASS IS
STOWED UNDERNEATH THE ROVER, YOU
CAN SEE THE AMERICAN FLAG AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE MAST.
SOMETHING THAT BRINGS IT HOME AS
FAR AS HOW AMAZING THE ROVER IS,
IS THE TURRET ON THE END OF THE
ROBOTIC ARM.
THAT INCLUDES THE CORER AND ALSO
INCLUDES SOME OTHER INSTRUMENTS.
IT WEIGHS 80 POUNDS.
IF YOU WOULD TOLD ME IN 20 YEARS
WE WOULD BEING BUILDING A ROVER
THAT HAD A ROW ROE BOT I CAN ARM
THAT COULD OLD THE WEIGHT OF
THREE SOJOURNERS ROVERS IN ITS
HAND MIGHT HAVE BEEN SURPRISED
BUT HERE IT IS IT'S THE
PERSEVERANCE ROVER AN MAKES
VEHICLE.
WITH THAT I WILL HAND IT OFF TO
FAR A TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE
MOBILITY SELLS STELTZ.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, JENNIFER,
EXPERIENCE VEERS HAS SOME OF THE
MOST AMBITIOUS SCIENCE GOALS WE
HAVE EVER ATTEMPTED TO THE
SURFACE OF MARS, NOW IN, IN
ORDER TO ACHIEVE THESE, WE NEED
TO TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES AND
OVER A VARIETY OF TERRAINS THE
ENABLE BEING TECHNOLOGY IS THE
ROVER'S MOBILITY SYSTEM.
YOU CAN SEE THE RECEIVER DRIVING
HERE IN OUR CLEAN ROOM WHILE YOU
LOOK AT THAT, I CAN TALK YOU
THROUGH SOME OF THE SPECS THE
ROVER HAS, PERCENT CONVENIENCE
IS A RUGGED ALL HAD-TERRAIN
VEHICLE.
A CLIENTS OF TWO FEET, WHEEL
DIAMETER OF 21 INCHES CAN GO
OVER OBSTACLES UP TO 40
CENTIMETERS THESE A FOOT.
AND UP SLOWS ABOUT A 57% GRADE.
THE ROVER HAS A TOP SPEED OF
.1 MILES PER HOUR.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT CAN
SELF DRIVE ON MARS.
NOW, REMEMBER, MARS DOESN'T HAVE
ROADS, IT CAN SELF DRIVE FOR
DISTANCES UP TO 200 METERS PER
DAY.
IN ORDER TO GET THERE, IN ORDER
TO GET TO THESE SPECS, WE HAVE
HAD TO MAKE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT
UPGRADES FROM PERSEVERANCE BRETT
CESC OR, WHICH WAS CURIOSITY.
THE FIRST UPGRADE WE MADE IS TO
ITS WHEELS LET'S LOOK AT SLIDE
NUMBER TWO WHERE YOU CAN SEE IN
THE HE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE CURIOSITY AND PERSEVERANCE
WHEELS, WE WITHIN BACK TO THE
DRAWING BOARD HERE, YOU CAN SEAT
PERSEVERANCE TREAD PAT CERTAIN
MUCH TIGHTER, MUCH CLOSER
TOGETHER AND THE TREADS ARE
ACTUALLY TALLER.
WHICH GIVES THE WHEELS BETTER
TRACTION.
BEING SEE MAY HAVE A SMOOTH
PATTERN RATHER THAN THE JAGGED
THAT CURIOSITY HAD.
THAT GETS RID OF THE HOTSPOTS
THAT CAUSED DAMAGE ON THE
CURIOSITY WHEELS THAT GIVES US
CONFIDENCE WITH THAT AND THE
HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF TEST THAT
GO THESE WHEELS WILL SURVIVE THE
HARSH MAR TANN ENVIRONMENT.
THE BIGGEST IS THE SELF DRIVING
CAPABILITY.
PERSEVERANCE CAN DRIVE THREE
TIMES FASTER THAN THE CURIOSITY,
MOSTLY DUE TO IT'S ABILITY TO
THINK WHILE IT DRIVES.
IT CAN THINK WHILE DRIVING DUE
TO THE ADDITIONAL COMPUTER THE
VISUAL COMPUTER ELM.
THE VCE WAS ADDED IN ORDER TO
ENABLE TERRAIN RELATIVE
NAVIGATION WHICH JENNIFER TALKED
ABOUT.
ONCE WE ARE ON THE SURFACE WE NO
LONGER NEED THE TERRAIN
SETTING UP OBSTACLE COURSES
THERE FOR OUR SCARE CROW ROVER.
SCARE CROW WHICH YOU SAW IN THE
LAST PICTURE IS AN EARTH VERSION
OF OUR ROVER THAT HAS A THIRD OF
THE MASS, AND ESSENTIALLY SCARE
CROW HAS THE SAME WEIGHT HERE ON
EARTH AS PERSEVERANCE WILL HAVE
ON MARS.
SINCE MARS HAS A THIRD OF THE
GRAVITY.
THAT EARTH DOES.
SO HERE ON EARTH WE'LL BE
BUTTING SCARE CROW THROUGH A
VARIETY OF TOASTS THROUGH OUR
MACES AND WHAT WE'LL BE DOING
USING THOSE TEST IS HIS
FINE-TUNING OURSELF DRIVING
PARAMETERS.
SO THAT IN FEBRUARY OF 2021,
WHEN WE LAND ON MARS, WE'LL BE
READY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING
AND GET ALONG WITH THAT
FANTASTIC SCIENCE THAT WE HAVE
IN STORE FOR THE ROVER.
AND WITH THAT, LET ME HAND YOU
OVER TO PROJECT SCIENTIST KEN
FARLEY WHO WILL TALK ABOUT THAT
SCIENCE.
>> THANKS, FARRAH.
AS YOU HAVE HEARD THE MARS 2020
MISSION HAS THREE MAJOR GOALS.
THE FIRST IS TO SEEK SIGNS OF
LIFE SECOND IS TO COLLECT AND
WASHINGTON SAMPLES THAT A FUTURE
MISSION CAN BRING BACK TO EARTH
AND THE THIRD IS TO TEST
TECHNOLOGIES THAT FUTURE
EXPLORERS OF MARS EITHER ROBOTIC
OR POSSIBLY EVEN HUMAN COULD
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
IF I COULD HAVE THE FIRST
GRAPHIC.
I WANT TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THE ROVER AND IN
PARTICULAR ABOUT THE SCIENCE
INSTRUMENTS.
WE HAVE SEVEN ENTIRELY NEW
INSTRUMENTS THAT WE ARE FLYING
WITHUS.
AND I WANT TO FOCUS ON JUST TWO
OF THEM.
BECAUSE THEY ILLUSTRATE A
COMPLETELY NEW KIND OF
CAPABILITY FOR A ROVER MISSION.
AND THAT IS THE PAIR OF
INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE ON THE
ROBOTIC ARM ON THE TURRET THAT
JENNIFER TALKED ABOUT.
THESE TWO INSTRUMENTS ARE CALLED
SHERLOCK AND PIXEL.
LITTLE AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY
ALLOW US TO COMBINE OR
CO-REGISTER IN A SINGLE POSTAGE
STAMP SIZE AREA THINGS THAT YOU
COULD SEE WITH YOUR EYES, LIKE
COLOR AND TEXTURE, BUT ALSO
CHEMISTRY AND MINUTE ROLLS.
THIS IS A POWER POWERFUL
COMBINATION NEVER DONE BEFORE.
IT ALLOWS US TO UNDERSTAND HOW
ROCKS FORMED WHAT THEIR HISTORY
HAS BEEN SINCE THEY FORMED AND
IN PARTICULAR, IS ONE OF THE
KEYWAYS THAT WE WILL LAST FOR
EVIDENCE OF LIFE.
ON WHAT WE CALL BYE SIGNATURES.
IN THAT REGARD THE SHERLOCK
INSTRUMENT IS PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOWS
TO YOU NOT ONLY DETECT ORGANIC
MATTER BUT TO ALSO MAP ITS
DISTRIBUTION IN THIS MICROSCOPIC
AREA.
ORGANIC IS ONE OF THE KEY
OBSERVATIONS YOU MAKE TO
IDENTIFY PAST EVIDENCE OF LIFE.
I WANT TO EXPAND ON SOMETHING
JENNIFER MENTIONED WHICH IS THE
SAMPLE CASHING SYSTEM AND I WANT
TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I
FIND REALLY, REALLY COOL.
THIS IS A SAMPLE TUBE.
NOW, JENNIFER TOLD YOU THAT THE
SAMPLING CASHING SYSTEM CONSISTS
OF A DRILL MOVEMENTED ON A ROBOT
BEING ARM AND THE SYSTEM THAT
PROCESSES THE SAMPLES INSIDE THE
ROVER, THIS IS A KEY ELEMENT OF
THIS WHOLE THING.
THIS IS A TUBE IN TO WHICH EACH
INDIVIDUAL SAMPLE WILL BE
DRILLED IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.
WE OFTEN LIKEN IT TO A TEST TUBE
BUT YOU CAN SEE IT'S GOT A LOT
OF FEATURES THAT GO BEYOND THAT
SIMPLE DESCRIPTION.
OF AND I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT
SOME OF THEM.
FIRST ONE OF THE KEY
TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAD TO BE
DEVELOPED FOR THIS IS HOW TO
MAKE IT EXTRAORDINARILY CLEAN.
THIS IS AMONGST THE CLEANEST
THINGS THAT HAVE BEFORE BEEN
BUILT IT'S THE CLEANEST THING
THAT'S EVER BEEN FLOWN IN THE
SENSE THAT THE INSIDE OF THESE
TUBESES OF WHICH THERE ARE 43 ON
THE ROVER THEY WILL LOOK JUST
LIKE H INSIDE IT HAS NO MIKE
ROBS AND EXTREMELY CLEAN OF
ORGANIC MATTER AND THAT'S
NECESSARY IS A SO WHEN THE
COUSINS OF THIS TUBE COME BACK
TO EARTH, WE CAN BE CERTAIN THAT
WHAT IS INSIDE THAT TUBE
ACTUALLY CAME FROM MARS AND
DIDN'T COME FROM EARTH.
SEVERAL OTHER FEATURES I CAN
POINTS OUT HERE.
IT HAS A SERIAL NUMBER ON IT.
THIS WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT WHEN
THE MISSION GOES TO PICK UP THIS
TYPE.
WE'LL KNOW WHICH ONE IT IS AND
KNOW WHERE WE COLLECTED IT,
THAT'S IS OBVIOUSLY SUPER
IMPORTANT.
AND YOU CAN SEE LOTS OF
INDENTATIONS AND HOLES IN THE
TUBE.
THIS IS NECESSARY SO THAT THE
ROBOTIC SYSTEMS BOTH ON
PERSEVERANCE AND ON THE
FOLLOW-ON MISSIONS CAN
MANIPULATE THE TUBE.
AND FINALLY, YOU ALSO NOTICE IT
IS BRIGHT WHITE.
THIS IS NOT PAINT, PAINT WOULD
CONTAMINATE THE SAMPLE WITH
ORGANIC MATTER.
INSTEAD THIS IS ALUMINUM OXIDE
FLAME SPRAYED TO THE SURFACE.
THIS IS NECESSARY SO THAT WHEN
WE CASH THE TUBE ON THE SURFACE
FOR A FUTURE MISSION TO PICK UP
IT DOESN'T GET TOO HOT IN THE
SUN THE LIGHT REFLECTS THE HEAT
WAY, THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT
FEATURES THAT HAS BEEN BUILT IN
TO THE ROVER.
>> WE SPENT SPENT A FAIR BIT OF
TIME TALKING ABOUT HARDWARE OF
THIS MISSION BUT I WANT TO POINT
OUT THAT THIS TAKES A VERY LARGE
TEAM OF PEOPLE TO RUN.
THERE ARE ENGINEERS WHO ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMANDING THE
ROVER AND INSURING ITS HEALTH
AND SAFETY AND A VERY LARGE
SCIENCE TEAM WHICH WILL GUIDE
THE OPERATIONS IN THE PURSUIT OF
THE SCIENCE GOALS.
SCIENCE TEAM HAS ABOUT 350
MEMBERS, THEY COME FROM THE ALL
AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THEY RANGE FROM STUDENT, ALL
THE WAY THROUGH SENIOR
SCIENTISTS.
AND THEY REPRESENT AN ENORMOUS
DIVERSITY OF SCIENTIFIC
DISCIPLINES FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE
NITTY GRITTY EXPERTS ABOUT WHAT
EACH INSTRUMENT DOES AND HOW IT
DOES IT, THROUGH TO GEOLOGISTS,
AND GEO CHEMISTS, ATMOSPHERIC
SCIENTISTS, ASTRO BIOLOGIES, AND
THIS WHOLE TEAM HAS TO WORK
TOGETHER.
ONE OF THE KEY THINGS JENNIFER
MENTION SECOND DEGREE THAT WE
HAVE A VERY AMBITIOUS MISSION
PLANNED AND NEED TO WORK VERY
EFFICIENTLY.
ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THIS.
THE TEAM EACH AND EVERY DAY WILL
RECEIVE DATA FROM THE ROVER.
AND ON A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME
THE TEAM NEEDS TOWN TURN RED
THAT DATA.
WHAT QUESTIONS DID IT ANSWER,
WHAT NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT
DIAMONDBACK IT RAISE.
LITTLE AND WHERE DO WE GO NOW
AND WHAT OBSERVATIONS DO WE
MAKE.
WE HAVE JUST A FEW HOURS TO DO
THAT BEFORE WE HAVE TO HAND IT
BACK TO THE ENGINEERS WHO BEAM
INSTRUCTIONS UP TO THE ROVER TO
GO AND DO THAT.
THIS IS A TIME-PRESSURED
ACTIVITY AND IMPORTANT THE THAT
TEAM KNOWS HOW TO FUNCTION
TOGETHER.
UNLIKE A PIECE OF HARDWARE WHERE
YOU CAN DESIGN HOW ALL THE
ELEMENT THES INTERACT A HUMAN
TEAM IS VERY DIFFERENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE
WORKING ON IS A KIND OF BONDING.
IF I COULD HAVE THE NEXT VIDEO
CLIP.
ONE OF THE THINGS SOME OF US ON
THE TEAM WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH
TO DO IS GO OUT IN THE FIELD IN
A REMOTE PART OF WESTERN
AUSTRALIA TO LOOK AT ROCKS THAT
CONTAIN THE OLDEST UNDISPUTED
EVIDENCE OF LIFE ON EARTH.
SIMILAR TO THE KINDS OF THINGS
THAT WE HOPE WE MIGHT FIND ON
MARS.
AND SO THIS WAS REALLY A GREAT
ACTIVITY SO WE COULD COME
TOGETHER AND GRASS THINK THE
IDEAS BEHIND THIS MISSION.
WE ARE NOW ABOUT THREE DAYS AWAY
FROM THE LAUNCH.
AND WE WILL ARRIVE, PERSEVERANCE
WILL ARRIVE ON MARS IN FEBRUARY
OF 2021.
THAT GIVES US ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS
IN WHICH THE TEAM, SCIENCE TEAM
WILL NOT BE RELAXING, INSTEAD OF
SCIENCE TEAM IS WORKING TO
DEVELOP A PLAN FOR HOW WE WILL
INVESTIGATE OUR LANDING SITE.
IF I COULD HAVE THE FINAL CLIP.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE
BEEN DOING IS DEVELOPING A
NOTIONAL TRAVERSE OF HOW THE
ROVER WILL MOVE THROUGH ITS
LANDING SITE.
SO IN BLUE YOU CAN SEE THE
LANDING A LIPS IN WHITE YOU CAN
SEE THE TRAVERSE THAT THE ROVER
MAY TAKE.
THIS SHOWS WE HAVE WONDERFUL
DATA FROM THE ORBITERS THAT HAVE
BEEN AROUND MARS.
TO GUIDE US IN THE KEY TARGETS
TO FURTHER OUR SCIENCE GOALS AND
THE WAY WE CAN TRAVERSE THE
ROVER THROUGH VARIOUS HAZARDS WE
ARE EXCITED TO KEPT TO WORK ON
THAT.
AND ACTUALLY START EXECUTING AS
SOON AS WE GET TO MARS EARLY
NEXT YEAR LITTLE WITH THAT I
WILL TURN IT OVER TO TONYA BOZAK
WHO IS A SCIENCE TEAM MEMBER AND
AN EXPERT LOOKING FOR BIO
SIGNATURES IN ANCIENT
TERRESTRIAL ROCKS.
>> THANK YOU, KEN.
AS SOMEONE WHO SPENDS A LOT OF
TIME THINKING WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE
ON EARTH, OR MARS THREE BILLION
YEARS AGO OR MORE, I THINK THAT
THE CRATER IS AN AMAZING SITE
FOR LANDING AND SAMPLE.
THE PROCESS BY WHICH WE ARRIVED
TO THIS LANDING SITE, TO CHOOSE
IT, WAS LONG.
WE STARTED IN 2014.
WITH THE FIRST LANDING SITE
WORKSHOP WHICH WAS OPEN TO THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO ANYONE COULD COME AND SUGGEST
THEIR FAVORITE LANDING SITE AND
THERE WERE DISCUSSIONS,
EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS, BUT THAT
LED TO THE NARROWING DOWN OF THE
NUMBERS DOWN TO THREE SITES IN
2018.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER 2018,
DR. [ INAUDIBLE ] MADE THE FINAL
CHOICE OF JEZERO.
AND THE CHOICE IS PRETTY
OBVIOUS, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT WE CAN SEE, FOR SPACE.
THAT TELLS US A LOT ABOUT JEZERO
AS A PREVIOUSLY HABITABLE
ENVIRONMENT.
IF I CAN HAVE THE FIRST SLIDE.
HERE IS PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN FROM
SPACE OF THE JEZERO CRATER.
THIS CRATER OWE CAN YOUR HONOR
IN VERY OLD TERRAIN.
THE CRATER ITSELF IS PROBABLY
3.8 BILLION YEARS OLD.
THIS IS AN AMAZINGLY OLD
ENVIRONMENT.
AND WHAT WE CAN SEE FROM THIS,
THERE ARE ABOUT THE CRATER
ITSELF IS ABOUT 50 KILOMETERS
WIDE.
AND IN THIS DASHED AREA, WE SEE
A FAN, YOU CAN SEE THIS FAN
ALREADY.
CHANGE SLIDES.
WE CAN SEE THE FAN LIKE DEPOSITS
ON EARTH AND THOSE DELTAS
DELTA DELTAAS YOUR WHEN REVERSEW
TERRAINS BEING SEDIMENT FROM
WATER.
WE CAN TELL THAT THERE WAS A
STANDING BODY OF WATER THAT WAS
THERE LONG ENOUGH FOR THE
SEDIMENT TO BE DEPOSITED AND
FORM THESE GEO MORPHIC FEATURES.
THERE WAS A GREAT STANDING BODY
OF WATER SOMETIME AGO.
WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE?
IF I CAN HAVE THE MOVIE THAT
FOLLOWS.
THIS IS AN ARTIST'S RENDITION OF
A FLYOVER.
MANY BILLION YEARS AGO OVER THE
CRATER.
IF YOU CAN PLAY THE MOVIE.
WE CAN SEE ON THE LEFT THE
IN-FLOW CHANNEL.
THAT CHEM FILLING THIS CRATER
WITH WATER.
WATER LEVEL WAS RISING TO THE
POINT WHEN THE OUTFLOW CHANNEL
FORMED TO THE RIGHT.
AND THAT LASTED FOR SOMETIME.
LONG ENOUGH TO CREATE A DELTA.
NOW, WE KNOW A LOT OF ABOUT
DELTAS ON EARTH.
AND PART OF WHAT MAKES DEL A I
CAN ENVIRONMENTS SO ATTRACTIVE
IS THEY SAMPLE SEDIMENTS FROM
THE SURROUNDING REGION, THESE
VERY OLD REGIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN
VERY OLD ON MARS SO BY LOOKING
AT THE SEDIMENT THERE WE CAN
LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING REGIONS
IN MARS.
FOR BIO SIGNATURES IT'S EVEN
MORE EXCITING BECAUSE DELTAS ARE
GREAT AT PRESERVING ORGANIC MAT
AND OTHER SIGNATURES.
WHAT WITH HE NO FROM ORBITAL
[ INAUDIBLE ] IF I CAN HAVE THE
NEXT SLIDE.
THERE ARE MINERALS PRESENT IN
THE DELTA AND WITHIN OUR
LANDINGY LIPS AND THE PROJECTED
TRAJECTORY.
HERE SAY FULL COLOR IMAGE.
THESE ARE THE NOT REAL COLORS ON
MARS UNFORTUNATELY.
WHAT THESE SHOW AREAS IN WHICH
DIFFERENT TYPES OF MINERALS ARE
CONCENTRATED WITHIN THE DELTA
YOU CAN SEE PURPLES, YOU CAN SEE
SOME GREENS SOME OF THIS TELLS
US THERE ARE A LOT OF CLAY
MINERAL KNOWN ON EARTH TO
PRESERVE SIGNATURES.
THE GREEN AREA IN PARTICULAR,
YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN THAT
FOLLOWS THE RIM OF THE CRATER,
BUT IN THE AREAS WHERE THE
FORMER LAKE WOULD HAVE BEEN
LAPPING THE SHORE.
AND THAT IS GREAT FOR BIO
SIGNATURES.
IF SOME OF THESE MINERALS ARE
FRIDAY SIP TATED.
>> Reporter: HERE IS WHERE THE
IONS WOULD HAVE COME IN AND
MINERALS WITH THE INFLOWING
WATER AND SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE
BEEN CONCENTRATED AND PERHAPS
EVEN TRAPPED SOME BIO
SIGNATURES.
SOME OF THE OLDEST EVIDENCE FOR
LIFE ON EARTH COMES FROM ROCKS
THAT THE SAME SIMILAR AND ON
PEDROIA SOX OF THE GREEN ROCKS.
SOME OF THESE ROCKS LOOK LIKE
WHAT FOLLOWS, THEY ARE LAYERED,
MADE OF CARBONATE.
IF YOU LOOK HERE BACK ON EARTH.
THIS IS A 2.7 BILL YOUR-YEAR-OLD
ROCK FROM WESTERN A A, THE AREA
WE SAW IN KEN'S VIDEO AND WHAT
WE KNOW ABOUT THESE ROCKS IS HOW
TO LOOK FOR BIO SIGNATURES.
LAST LITTLE FEATURES YOU CAN SEE
HERE.
DIFFERENT LAYERS AND BUMPS WE
KNOW WHEN MIKE ROPES HAVE TO BE
INVOLVED IN THE PRECIPITATION OF
MINERALS TO MAKE SHAPES LIKE
THAT.  ARE THEREIN INNING ON
MARS?
WE DON'T KNOW.
WHAT ARE THESE CARBO NATURALS ON
MARS?
WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT WE ARE EXCITED TO LOOK AT
THEM AND WE HAVE A GREAT SUITE
OF INSTRUMENTS TO DO SO AND WE
HAVE MANY SETS OF TRAINED EYES
THAT WILL BE READY TO SAMPLE THE
BEST ROCKS POSSIBLE TO BRING TO
EARTH AND START ASKING THESE
QUESTIONS ABOUT POSSIBLY EARLY
LIFE ON MARS.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT
OVER TO D.C.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, TANJA.
I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE QUESTIONS
FROM THE MEDIA ON THE PHONE.
CHELSEA FROM SPACE.COM.
CHELSEA.
>> Reporter: HI, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FORTING MY QUESTION.
OBVIOUSLY A HUGE PART OF THIS
MISSION ONE OF ITS MAIN
OBJECTIVE IS HIS TO LOOK FOR
THESE BIO SIGNATURES AND
EVIDENCE OF THIS ANCIENT LIFE.
I AM CURIOUS, IN PART FOR PEOPLE
WHO ARE JUST LIKE WHAT DOES THAT
MEAN.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW WHAT
BIO SIGNATURES ARE, BUT WHAT ARE
YOU HOPING TO FIND, I GUESS MORE
CONCRETELY.
WE HAVE SEEN ORGANICS ON MARS,
THINGS OF THAT NATURE BUT I AM
CURIOUS WHAT SPECIFICALLY YOU
ARE LOOKING TO SEE AND THEN THE
SECOND PART TO THAT QUESTION IS
I AM CURIOUS HOW YOU THINK
PEOPLE WILL REACT IF THESE BIO
SIGNATURES COME TO LIGHT AND
PERSEVERANCE IS ABLE TO TAKE US
TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN THE SEARCH
FOR LIFE.
>> YEAH, OKAY.
SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
WHAT IS A BIO SIGNATURE AND HOW
ARE REGOING TO LOOK FOR IT?
WELL, THE FIRST THING TO
UNDERSTAND.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS
LIKELY PRIMITIVE LIFE.
NOT ADVANCE THE LIFE FORMS THAT
MIGHT LEAVE THINGS LIKE BONES OR
FURNISH FOSSILS OR SOMETHING
LIKE THAT WE ARE LOOK BY ANALOGY
TO A SIMILAR TIME ON EARTH
MICROBIAL LIFE ON EARTH.
TANJA SHOWED YOU AN IMAGE OF A
VERY COMPELLING EXAMPLE FROM
EARTH OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE
IT'S PRODUCED WHERE A LAYER OF
MIKE ROPES LIVES AT THE
INTERFACE OF WATER AND MUD AT A
BODY OF WATER.
THAT'S A FEATURE THAT WE COULD
SEE WITH OUR EYES THE EXAMPLE
THAT SHE SHOWED WAS MACROSCOPIC,
IT WAS QUITE LARGE.
IF YOU LOOKED A IT THE WITH A
MICROSCOPE WHICH WE CAN DO WITH
THE INSTRUMENTS ON THE REMEMBER
ARM DESCRIBED YOU CAN SEE THAT
TEXTURE GOES DOWN TO MICROSCOPIC
SCALE AND WE CAN SEE THERE IS
ORGANIC MATTER IN THE
TERRESTRIAL ANALOGUES THAT WE
WOULD HOPE TO SEE WITH THE
SHERLOC INSTRUMENT.
THAT WOULD BE A VERY COMPELLING
EXAMPLE OF A BIO SIGNATURE THAT
WE MIGHT HOPE TO FIND.
>> I WILL ADD TO THE SECOND HALF
OF THAT QUESTION.
WHICH IS TRYING TO REACH BEYOND
WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH
PERSEVERANCE YOU HAVE HEARD
ABOUT THE SCIENCE THAT WE HELP
TO DO ON MARS BUT THERE OTHER
DESTINATIONS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM
WHERE LIFE MAY HAVE TAKEN HOLD
IN THE PAST OR MAY BE PRESENT
EVEN TODAY.
THE MOONS OF JUPITER AND SAT, A
SUCH AS EUROPA WHICH IS THE MOON
OF JUPITER.
TITAN AND [ INAUDIBLE ] MOONS OF
SATURN ARE PLACES WHERE THERE
COULD BE ENVIRONMENTS THAT MIGHT
BE CONDUCIVE TO LIFE.
OTHER VERY INTERESTING
ASTROBIOLOGY TARGETS.
WE ARE INTERESTING IN EXPLORING
THESE ENVIRONMENTS, MARS AND
BEYOND TO CONTINUE OUR SEARCH
FOR ARE THERE OTHER PLACES IN
THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT MIGHT
ACTUALLY HOST LIFE.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU, LORI.
I UNDERSTAND THE NEXT QUESTION
IS FROM MARSHA DUNN WITH A.P.
MARSHA.
>> Reporter: YES, HELLO.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR JENNIFER
TROSPER, IF I MIGHT.
I HATE TO ASK YOU TO CHOOSE
AMONG YOUR FIVE ROVER CHILDREN,
BUT I AM WONDERING IF
PERSEVERANCE IS YOUR NEW
FAVORITE CHILD?
AND ALSO WHAT DO YOU -- YOU HAVE
WORKED WITH ALL FIVE THAT AS
ROVERS, WHAT SETS PERSEVERANCE
APART THE MOST FROM ITS
PREDECESSORS?
AND YOU ARE FREE TO USE AS MANY
SUPERLATIVES AS YOU LIKE.
THANK YOU.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU.
SO I THINK I HAVE TO FIRST SAY
ABOUT THE ROVERS THE SAME THING
I SAY ABOUT MY THREE CHILDREN,
THEY ARE ALL MY FAVORITES.
AND I ALSO HAVE TO BE CAREFUL
BECAUSE I ACTUALLY MET MY
HUSBAND BECAUSE OF THE PATH
FINDER ROVER, SO I THINK I HAVE
TO SAY THAT ONE IS MY FAVORITE.
BUT PERSEVERANCE IS ALSO MY
FAVORITE.
SO I DON'T THINK I ANSWERED YOUR
QUESTION.
BUT THE THING THAT I REALLY LOVE
ABOUT PERSEVERANCE AND I, YOU
KNOW, I HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT
ROLE, MORE OF A VISIONARY ROLE
ON PERSEVERANCE THAN ON
PREVIOUSLY ROVERS SO IT IS MORE
I THINK A PART OF WHO I AM AND
WHAT I WANT ROVERS TO BE.
AND I SEE PERSEVERANCE AS BEING
TRANSFORMATIVE.
RIGHT?
AND I THINK MATT TALKED ABOUT IT
THIS MORNING, WE HAVE BEEN
EXPLORING, WE STARTED EXPLORING
MARS WITH, YOU KNOW, THE
ORBITERS AND THEN GOT TO WHERE
WE HAD LANDERS AND NOW WE HAVE
DRIVING AROUND AND NOW THIS IS
TRANSFORMING US TO BRINGING
SAMPLES BACK AND EVENTUALLY
GETTING HUMANS THERE.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE THING THAT
MAKES PERSEVERANCE STANDOUT
UNIQUELY AMONGST ALL OF THESE
ROVERS.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU, JENNIFER.
NEXT UP MARY LIZ BENDER WITH
INVERSE.
MARY.
>> Report: YEAH, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR TAKING MY QUESTION.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, IF YOU COULD
TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT
AFTER LAUNCH.
WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP THE NEXT
COUPLE OF MONTHS LOOK LIKE FOR
YOU THE TEAM AND WHEN WILL YOU
TAKE YOUR FIRST REAL FRESH, SIGH
OF RELIEF, IF YOU WILL?
AND THAT CAN GO FOR ANYONE, BUT
LORI, PERHAPS YOU WANT TO ANSWER
THAT QUESTION.
>> SURE.
I'LL LEAVE SOME OF DETAILS OF
EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO BE
HAPPENING OVER THE NEXT FEW
MONTHS MAYBE TO KEN AND
JENNIFER.
ABOUT BUT WHEN WILL WE HEAVE A
SIGH OF RELIEF.
I THINK AFTER WE HAVE
SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE ENTRY
DESCENT AND LANDING AND GOTTEN
THROUGH THAT SEVEN MINUTES OF
TERROR I THINK ALL OF US WILL BE
VERY RELIEVED AND READY TO BEGIN
THE HARD WORK OF CONDUCTING THE
SURFACE SCIENCE AND STARTING TO
SEE THE INCREDIBLE RESULTS OF
THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR HERE.
BUT I WILL LET KEN OR JENNIFER
TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WILL BE DOING
OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
>> I WILL SAY WHAT THE SCIENCE
TEAM WILL BE DOING TRAINING,
TRAINING, TRAINING.
IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED PEACE OF
HARDWARE.
AND THE SCIENTISTS ON THIS
MISSION MOST OF THEM HAVE VERY
LITTLE PREPARATION TO DO THIS
KIND OF WORK.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
INSTRUMENTS ARE CAPABLE OF AND
HOW TO TROUBLE THEM TO DO WHAT
WE WANT THEM TO DO.
SO TRAINING IS REALLY ESSENTIAL
AT THIS POINT.
>> JENNIFER, ANYTHING TO ADD
FROM J.P.L.
>> I'LL ADD THAT WE HAVE A CREW
TEAM FLYING THE VEHICLE TO MARS,
SO SHORTLY AFTER LAUNCH, WE'LL
ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE SUN
AND THE SOLAR ARRAYS AND THE SUN
CENSORS AND FIND THE SCAR WITH
OUR SCAR STAR SCANNER AND GET TO
THE RIGHT SPIN RATE AND WITHIN A
FEW WEEKS WE'LL DO OUR FIRST
TRAJECTORY CORRECTION MANEUVER
WHICH GETS US ON THE HOME AND
TRANSFER TRAJECTORY THAT WE ARE
TAKE TO GO MARS AND CORRECT FOR
ANY LAUNCH VEHICLE ERRORS.
>> GREAT.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
JENNIFER.
NEXT UP FROM IRISH TELEVISION,
LEO ENRIGHT, LEO.
>> Reporter: THANKS VERY MUCH,
D.
D.C.
FOR KEN FARLEY, I RATHER LOVED
THE DOSS I HAD LINES ON THE
TRAVERSE MAY HAVE THAT YOU
SHOWED.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE
EXTENDED MISSION.
WE ARE ALL HOPING YOU WOULD GO
BEYOND MIDWAY, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE
AT THE MOMENT YOU ARE ONLY
PREPARED TO GO AS FAR AS MIDWAY.
OR AM I READING THAT MAP RIGHT?
>> YEAH, LET ME PROVIDE SOME
BACKGROUND HERE.
DURING THE LANDING SITE
SELECTION PROCESS, THE COMMUNITY
THAT WAS DOING THE
PRIORITIZATION RECOGNIZED THAT
JEZERO CRATER HAD REALLY
FANTASTIC TARGETS AND TANJA
TALKED ABOUT THEM THE DEL TORQUE
THE CARBO EIGHT ROCK, VERY
EXCITED TO SEE THOSE, BY THERE
WAS A GREAT DEAL OF EXCITEMENT
FOR ROVE UP THE CRATER RIM AND
EXPLORE THE HIGHLAND BEYOND,
WHICH IS SOME OF THE -- INCLUDES
SOME OF THE OLDEST ROCKS ON MARS
SOME VERY UNUSUAL FEATURES THAT
COULD POTENTIALLY INDICATE THE
INTERACTION OF HOT WATER WITH
ROCK, ANOTHER HABITABLE
ENVIRONMENT THAT WE WOULD BE
VERY EXCITED TO INVESTIGATE.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT
WE HAVE A PRIME MISSION AS
JENNIFER MENTIONED, IS ONE MARS
YEAR.
AND SO THAT TRAVERSE INDICATES
WHERE WE HOPE TO GET BY THE END
OF THE PRIME MISSION ABOUT TWO
EARTH YEARS AFTER WE LAND.
>> GREAT.
OKAY.
NEXT UP IS NATALIE GUERRERO,
NATALIE.
>> Reporter: YEAH, I WANTED TO
KNOW WHAT WOULD IS THE PROCESS
FOR CHOOSING WHAT SAMPLES YOU
END UP TAKING BECAUSE IT SOUNDS
LIKE THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER
OF SAMPLE TUBES.
>> I CAN TAKE THAT ONE.
WE HAVE 43 SAMPLE TUBES.
AND WE EXPECT THAT OVER THE
ENTIRE DURATION OF THE MISSION,
NOT WITHIN THE PRIME MISSION
THAT WE WILL USE ALL OF THESE
TUBES IN THE PURSUIT OF
SOMETHING LIKE 30 OR 35 REALLY
GOOD SAMPLES.
THE ADDITIONAL TUBES THERE ARE
SO WE CAN, FOR EXAMPLE, CHANGE
OUR MINDS.
WE MIGHT SAY THIS LOOKS LIKE A
GOOD EXAMPLE OF SOME PARTICULAR
KIND OF ROCK.
AND THEN SIX MONTHS LATER WE
FIND SOMETHING MUCHBETTER.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE
OUR MIND IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT
SAMPLES COME BACK.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
THAT ONE OF THE CENTRAL GOALS OF
THE MISSION IS TO SEEK THE SIGNS
OF LIFE AND MANY OF THE SAMPLES
WE COLLECT WILL BE SPECIFICALLY
CHOSEN BECAUSE THEY REPRESENT
HABITABLE ENVIRONMENTS OR IF WE
ARE FORTUNATE ALSO HAVE
POTENTIAL BIO SIGNATURES THAT WE
WISH TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO MANY OTHER
KIND OF QUESTIONS, WE HEARD
EARLIER ABOUT HOW MARS' CLIMATE
CHANGED IT CHANGED ENORMOUSLY,
AN IMPORTANT THING TO UNDERSTAND
IS THAT WE HAVE NO IDEA WHY MARS
WAS SO DIFFERENT IN ITS EARLY
HISTORY.
AND WE HOPE THAT IF WE BRING
BACK ROCKS AND STUDY THEM IN
TERRESTRIAL LABORATORIES THEY'LL
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THAT
LITTLE I GUESS THE IDEA IS WE
HAVE A BROAD SET OF SCIENTIFIC
OBJECTIVES THAT WE BELIEVE THE
SAMPLES CAN AND WILL BE USED
FOR.
AND THE KEY REALLY IS DIVERSITY.
WE WILL COLLECT A DIVERSITY OF
SAMPLES, REFLECTING NOT ONLY OUR
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT QUESTIONS
ARE LIKELY TO BE ANSWERED BUT
ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT DECADES
FROM NOW, THERE WILL BE MANY
OTHER KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT WE
CAN'T PRESENTLY FORESEE.
SO HAVING A DIVERSE SAMPLE SUITE
IS THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH
THAT COLLECTION OF THE CASH.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU, KEN AND WE
HAVE QUESTIONS FROM SOCIAL
MEDIA.
THE FIRST ONE IS FROM TOUR.
AND HE IS IN THE U.K.
AND HE'S BEEN BUILDING HIS OWN
LEGO AND CONNECTS ROVER FOR A
MONTH AND WAITING FOR THE LAUNCH
OF MARS 2020.
TANJA THIS MIGHT BE GOOD FOR
YOU.
HOW CAN YOU FIT AN ENTIRE
SCIENCE LABORATORY IN TO A
ROVER?
>> SO PART OF WHAT MAKES THIS
PARTICULAR ROVER SO SPECIAL, IS
THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO FIT AN
ENTIRE SCIENCE LABORATORY IN
THIS ROVER.
FOR EXAMPLE, AS KEN MENTIONED,
THE BIO SIGNATURES WE CAN LOOK
FOR WILL PROBABLY BE SOMETHING
MICROSCOPIC.
AND THERE IS JUST NO WAY TO
BRING A MICROSCOPE, A REAL
MICROSCOPE THAT WE WOULD USE ON
EARTH TO THE SURFACE OF MARS.
SO THE SPECIAL ROVER AND ITS
CERTAINLY SAMPLING AND CASHING
EQUIPMENT IS DESIGNED TO STORE
THE SAMPLES AND HE INDIVIDUAL
THANK YOU THE SAMPLES COME TO
EARTH AND THEN WE CAN STUDY THEM
IN LABORATORIES ON EARTH.
THAT SAID, THERE ARE THERE IS A
SUITE OF INSTRUMENTS.
THAT KEN MENTIONED THERE IS
WATSON, SHERLOC, ALL OF THESE
INSTRUMENTS THAT CAN ALLOW US TO
LOOK AT SOME ROCK SECTIONS AND
SOME ORGANIC MATERIAL.
WE CAN KNOW A LOT OF EVEN BY
JUST LOOKING AT [ INAUDIBLE ]
>> THANK YOU, TANJA, NEXT
QUESTION MIGHT BE A GOOD ONE FOE
FARAH.
SINCE YOU ARE ABOUT MOBILITY,
THIS IS A QUESTION ABOUT KEEPING
CAMERA LENSES CLEAR OF DEBRIS
AND DIRT.
HOW DO YOU DO WITH THAT THE NAV
CAMERAS SPORTING THE DRIVES?
>> ON LANDING WE ACTUALLY -- THE
CAMERAS ARE COVERED WITH CAMERA
COVERS WHICH PROTECTS THE
CAMERAS FROM THE DUST.
WE HAVE TRIED TO KEEP THEM AS
LEAN AS WE CAN.
TO GET RID OF THE CAMERA COVERS
AND SHOULD GIVE US A CLEAR
VISION ON MARS.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE DON'T TEND
TO GET TOO MUCH SANDS
ACCUMULATING UP ON THE CAMERAS
ON THE TURRET SO WE DON'T WORRY
TOO MUCH THAT ABOUT THAT AND WE
BENEFIT SOMETIMES FROM THE KIDS
THAT SERVE AS -- WINDS THAT
SERVE AS CLEANING THE DUST THAT
MIGHT GET UP.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU, FARAH.
THE NEXT QUESTION IS DID
ZURBUCHEN FROM BRITTANY WRIGHT I
WOULD LOVE TOE NO THE EX-EFFECT
3-D LIFE STAN OF PERSEVERANCE IS
HOW YOU GO ABOUT MAKING REPAIRS
TO IT IF SOMETHING SHOULD BREAK
OR MALFUNCTION?
MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD ONE FOR
JENNIFER.
>> YEAH, WE HAVE TESTED AND
QUALIFIED OUR HARDWARE TO 1 1/2
MARS YEARS, LONGER THAN THE ONE
MARS YEAR OR TWO EARTH YEARS THE
MISSION IS SUPPOSED TO LAST.
THE WAY WE DO THAT, WE ACTUALLY
TAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF THE
THERMAL CYCLES THE THERMAL
CYCLES ARE MARS ARE THE HARDEST
PART ABOUT THE HARDWARE THAT
COULD BREAK THE HARDWARE AND SO
WE DO THAT AND WE MAKE SURE THAT
IT WILL LAST THROUGH ALL OF
THOSE THERMAL CYCLE ANDS MAKE
SURE OUR MECHANISMS WILL MOVE AS
MANY REVS AS WE NEED THEM TO.
WE HAVE DONE THAT.
HE WE EXPECT IT TO LAST ONE MARS
YEAR, THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO WE
DO IF THINGS GO WRONG IS AN
INTERESTING ONE.
BECAUSE HAVING OPERATED ALL OF
THESE MARS ROVERS ALL KINDS OF
THINGS THAT JUST GO WRONG.
AND IT'S FAR AWAY AND SOMETIMES
IT DOESN'T TALK TO YOU AND
THAT'S THE FIRST PROBLEM YOU
NOTICE.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
METHODS AND A LOT OF THEM ARE IN
OUR DESIGN REALLY.
I WILL JUST TALK TO A COUPLE OF
THEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS THAT WE HAVE
REDUNDANCY IN OUR CRITICAL
HARDWARE, IF THE SLIGHT COMPUTER
GOES BACK, WE HAVE ANOTHER
FLIGHT COMPUTER, THAT CAN
REE IT.
WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING CALLED
FUNCTIONAL REDUNDANCY, WHERE WE
HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN TALK
DIRECTLY TO THE ROVER FROM EARTH
VIA UPLINK AND SENDING IT
COMMANDS.
BUT WE CAN ALSO SEND THOSE
COMMANDS THROUGH ORBITERS.
IF FOR SOME REASON WE LOSE THE
LINK TO THE ROVER FROM DIRECT TO
EARTH.
SO WE HAVE THOSE TYPES OF
THINGS, IT'S ALWAYS HARROWING
WHEN YOU DON'T HEAR FROM THE
ROVER.
SOME GREAT STORIES ABOUT GETTING
THESE ROVERS OUT OF DIFFICULT
SITUATIONS.
BUT THE TEAM OF OPERATIONS
PERSONNEL ARE VERY WELL
EXPERIENCED AND SUITED TO HELP
THE ROVER WHENEVER IT HAS SOME
PROBLEMS.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU, JENNIFER.
AND ACTUALLY, ONE MORE QUESTION
FOR YOU.
AND THIS ONE IS FROM ICHAEL
JACK THE, AND HE WRITES, WHAT IS
THE HARDEST PART ABOUT BUILDING
THE ROVER?
>> WELL, PERSEVERANCE IS A VERY
COMPLICATED ROVER.
I SHOWED YOU DIFFERENT PIECES IT
HAVE DURING MY PRESENTATION.
THE HARDEST PART OF THIS ROVER,
THERE ARE MANY PARTS THAT ARE
HARD, BUT THE SAMPLING AND
KAPPING SYSTEMS IS A ROBOTTING I
CANNILY COMPLEX SYSTEM.
YOU HAVE TO HAND THE SAMPLES
THROUGH A BIT CAROUSEL AND ON
TOP THAT HAVE IT HAS TO BE SUPER
CLEAN SO WHATEVER YOU DISCOVER
IS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU TOOK
WITH YOU BECAUSE IT WASN'T CLEAN
ENOUGH WHEN YOU LAUNCHED THAT'S
BEEN THE HARDEST THING TO
DEVELOP ON THE PERSEVERANCE
ROVER.
IT'S A REAL TESTAMENT THAT THE
TEAM HAS GOTTEN THAT TO THE
POINT WHERE WE CAN COLLECT THESE
SAMPLES AND LAUNCH IN THE 2020
LAUNCH WINDOW.
>> THANK YOU, JENNIFER, WE ARE
COMING UP AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR
SOON SO IT'S A GOOD TIME TO WRAP
THE SHOW.
REMINDER TOMORROW WE HAVE TWO
MORE BRIEF GOESES ABOUT THE MARS
2020 PERSEVERANCE ROVER MINUTE
FIRST AT 2:00 P.M. EASTERN,
THAT'S ON SAMPLE RETURN.
THAT COULD BE A GOOD ONE AND
THEN MARS 2020 MISSION TECH AND
HUMANS TO MARS TOMORROW.
THOSE ARE TWO GOOD MEDIA
BRIEFINGS TOMORROW.
A REMINDER, OF COURSE, THAT JULF
OUR LAUNCH PERIOD AND THEN TERRY
WILL START ON JULY 30th AT
7:00 A.M., AND 7:50 A.M. IS THE
FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR LAUNCH
THAT DAY.
DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE
MISSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT
@NURSE A PERSEVERE ON PRETTIER
AND Facebook AND PLEASE FELL
FREE TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION
USING THE #POUNDCOUNTDOWNTO DOS
MARS.
THAT'S HERE FROM KSC PRESS SITE
I AM D.C.
YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD HE CAN,
THANK YO
