The Mars 2020 rover is a planned robotic Mars rover mission by NASA to land on Mars in July 2020, and investigate an astrobiologically relevant ancient environment on the planet. The primary science goals of the mission are to search for evidence of past microbial life, collect samples of rock and regolith (unconsolidated rock fragments and dust), characterize the climate and geology of Mars, and prepare for human exploration.
The rover will build upon the design of the successful Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012. The new rover will be about twice as long and heavier than Curiosity, at 10 feet (3 meters) long and 2,300 pounds (1,000 kilograms). It will be powered by a radioisotope power system that converts the heat from decaying plutonium-238 into electricity. This will give it enough power to operate for at least one Martian year (687 Earth days).
The new rover’s payload includes a set of scientific instruments selected through a competitive process. These instruments will allow it to search for evidence of ancient microbial life; collect samples of rock and regolith for possible return to Earth; study Mars’ climate and geology; and test technologies needed for future human exploration missions. Instruments include:
* Mastcam-Z: A high-resolution stereo imaging camera system mounted on the mast (the “head” or “neck” of the rover). It will provide color images and 3D topography with up to 5 times greater resolution than previous cameras sent to Mars.
* SuperCam: A remote sensing instrument that can identify minerals from a distance using visible, near-infrared, and infrared light spectroscopy. It also has a laser that can vaporize rocks up to 23 feet (7 meters) away in order to analyze their composition with great precision.
* PIXL: An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer that uses an X-ray beam smaller than 1 millimeter across (< 0.04 inch)to map elemental chemistry at very high spatial resolution (<0.15 mm or ~0.006 inch). This information is used together with data from other instruments aboard the Roverto help identify rocks most likely containing evidenceof past microbial life .
* SHERLOC: A shortwave infrared imaging spectrometer that can identify organic molecules associated with potential signs of ancient life as well as minerals formed in waterlogged environments .