#The NASA Perseverance Rover Is Headed to Mars on Feb. 18

“#The NASA Perseverance Rover Is Headed to Mars on Feb. 18”

NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. — Dima Zel/Shutterstock

Sure, you can see a Snow Moon this month, but you can also watch a live Mars landing! The NASA Perseverance is slated to land on the Red Planet this month, and if you want to see it happen, here’s when and where you can watch.

The descent to Mars is scheduled for Feb. 18, and NASA will air the event live on its YouTube channel. The broadcast will begin at 2:15 p.m. EST, with the rover actually slated to land around 3:30 p.m. EST.

If you can’t wait until then, there’s a preshow you can watch right now. While it’s not quite the same as a rocket launch, if you or your kids are fascinated with space, the livestream will feature commentary and views from mission control. There will also be photos available after the Perseverance lands.

This mission is no easy feat. The Perseverance Rover will descend into Mars’ atmosphere at about 12,000 mph, with a protective heat shield encasing it to help slow the journey. Once it’s only 7 miles above ground, a parachute will deploy and the shield will come off.

The rover will then be lowered to the surface of Mars using what NASA calls a sky crane. Then, it’s off on its journey to collect data for scientists.

It’s an awesome experience for kids or anyone who never got to go to Space Camp, so mark your calendar for Feb. 18. If you want to learn more about the rover or its mission, you can check out the details over on CNET.

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